When one thinks of mass communication or the mass media, the big boys such as Time Warner or CBS or even News Corporation comes to mind. Nevertheless, in Singapore, the only local mass media companies are Singapore Press Holdings and Channel Newsasia. These corporations are much smaller in size and often focus their coverage on a regional scale, unlike the other global giants.
Mass Communication is a form of communication through which institutional sources address relatively large, heterogeneous and anonymous audiences physically separated from one another.
Here are some characteristics of mass communication.
Institutional sources are the media sources such as newspapers, magazines, radio, TVs, etc. We are familiar with these, we see and consume them everyday. Receivers of these institutional messages are ‘invisible’ and have little or no direct experience with the media sources. Media messages are heterogeneous, anonymous and are not individualized. Receivers’ relationship with sources is voluntary and communication can be terminated at will. Media channels are interposed, employing different technology to transmit or receive messages. Technological access is usually required to encode and decode the message.
Lets look at some of the media theories:
The first one is Magic Bullet Theory (Powerful Effects Theory), this was used in the 20s/30s era. It was popular after the second world war. In this theory, the media is powerful while the audiences are powerless. Audiences are passive and will do or act out desired behaviors expected by the media. It predicts strong and relatively universal effects of mass communication on all audiences. We’re controlled by the media.
The second theory is Uses and Gratification Theory (Limited Effects Theory). It was introduced in 1950s/60s. This theory is the opposite of the first one. The media is thought to be powerless while the audiences are powerful. The audiences are active and discerning enough to resist the media messages. They use media for some reasons, to gain more information, to improve personal identity, build stronger relationship, to escape from something,etc. They use media according to their needs practicing self-censorship, and sought out competing media messages.
The third category is Moderate Effects Theory models. The strength of the media and the audiences are almost the same. The media has the power to influence the audiences and the audiences have the power to select or resist the media.
There is a term called Agenda Setting Function, it is the ability of the media to raise the importance of an issue in public’s mind. Media tells us what to talk about in daily life. The power of the media to influence us depends on our experiences too. If they are talking about something that we do not related to, we tend to ignore that message. The media is extremely successful in controlling what we think about.
The Media Hegemony Theory, the media is seen to represent the views of the powerful elite; it is influence by those who hold economic and political power. The media strives to monopolise opinions and drive society in a way that benefits them. Powerless groups are silenced in media hegemony.
Media Determinism Theory states that the medium used is more important than the message in communication. Marshall McLuhan argues that ‘The Medium is the Message.’ The medium used in communication has the power to change the way we live and experience the world.
The Spiral of Silence Theory predicts that the public have the tendency to refrain from expressing unpopular views or ideas. The decision to speak up is influenced by public opinion. The media can be said to influence behaviour by supporting certain views.
Lastly, we have the Cultivation Theory. This school of thought says that messages in the media do not influence audiences attitudes directly but, cultivate an opinion indirectly. The media can have the mainstreaming effect, creating a way of looking at the world that eventually becomes the commonly held view. The media adopts the resonance effect as audiences’ everyday experiences match those they consume on the mass media, creating a ‘double dose’ effect.
I believe that the Magic Bullet Theory definately do not apply in modern day Singapore. The local mass media, although very successfuly influencial, does have it’s limitations. Local audiences are also well educated and more dicerning with the messages. Moreover, many other mass media channels are available to the locals through cable television and the Internet. The local audience are media savvy, they consume multiple channels of different mass media. They do not just take the messages for the truth and tend to be relatively well informed with a questioning spirit.
So which of these media theories do u think is representive of the mass media in Singapore?
6 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 7, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Kai L
I believe that Singapore has the aspect of media hegemony. In Singapore, the media is controlled by the government. It is subjected to various regulatory bodies such as the MDA.
March 8, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Vas
Interesting post. =)
Singapore is well known for its tough stance on the media. Perhaps the government should consider relaxing some media controls in Singapore. In modern times, Singaporeans are more mature and able to decide for themselves. Tight media regulations can likewise create a backlash.
March 8, 2009 at 10:51 pm
ThoMas
I dont watch channel 5 news or channel newsasia. Their news is always repeated and very Singapore or asia based. SCV has alot of better channels such as CNN, BBC and Fox. Their content are way better than Singapore’s news.
March 12, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Neo
I do agree with the above comment. Tight media controls could create a backlash. The local media loses the competitive edge as a result of the restrictions placed on them. Media consumers would easily switch to more favorable channels of media such as on cable or on the internet.
In the long run, the local mass media could gradually become extinct.
March 16, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Mike
The government is loosening its grip on the local media. Recently, it announced that it would allow certain forms of political videos to be broadcast. This is a huge step as political videos have always been banned and perpetrators have been harshly pursued by the law.
March 25, 2009 at 11:23 am
Ben Tan
I agree that the media has the ‘Agenda setting function’. Modern media do not directly influence us, but they are very good at telling us what to think about. When they wish to move on to another issue, they easily do and the new topic becomes the talk of the town. Basically, anything they focus on will become the spotlight of public talk and debate.