Shonell in TCR Land

Chapter 2 of Baehr and Schaller’s Writing for the Internet: A Guide to Real Communication in Virtual Space reads like a who’s who of theories, particularly from mass communication:

• Critical Theory – seeks change in the dominant social order and notes how communication is controlled by the in-power group and used to exert control over the audience
• Normative Media Theory – based on how the media should work to attain ideal social values
• Convergence Theory – based around the idea that there are no longer distinctions, lines, or boundaries from one medium to another, or even among all media.
• Mass Society Theory – a more pessimistic view in which the “masses” are somehow controlled by media, a media industry that is controlled not by the mass but by some “elite” group.
• Limited Effects Theory – based on the idea that media doesn’t have the stronghold on audience as some speculate; adults have usually developed strong ideas, opinions, world views which are associated with their interpersonal and group connections, and it is very hard for media to overcome those things.
• Framing Theory – suggests that how something is presented (the “frame”) influences the choices people make.
• Third-Person Effect Theory - refers to the thought that the media has an impact on the global public, but not on me (The third person is affected, but I’m not).
• Technological Determinism Theory - states that media technology shapes how we as individuals in a society think, feel, act, and how society operates as we move from one technological age to another.
• Propaganda Theory – asserts that the public can be influenced by media through the spread of misinformation by media functions such as agenda-setting, gatekeeping, and priming.
• Selective Exposure Theory –  asserts that media consumers, preferring exposure to arguments supporting their position over those supporting other positions, have the ability to select the information that comforts and agrees with their own ideas.
• Uses and Gratifications Theory – places more focus on the consumer, or audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking “what people do with media” rather than “what media does to people.”
• Libertarian Theory – takes the view that man is rational and able to discern between truth and falsehood and, therefore, can choose between a better and worse alternative.
• Social Responsibility Theory – goes beyond the “objective” reporting that the Libertarian theory is based on. A fact-based account is not enough; we must go beyond “just the facts” and analyze, explain, and interpret the facts.

The purpose of taking this theoretical trip down memory lane is to discuss how these theories that have been used–with modification–can be used to theorize on our current digital culture.

Chapter 3 defined convergence (a place where media forms interact, overlap, and gather) and discussed the issues and benefits of convergence.

Issues included:

• Context – we get info so fast these days and oftentimes, the context of the situation is missing from initial information
• Editing - immediacy of information flow can hurt the quality of the information because it’s not properly edited; misinformation can occur.
• Quality Control – oftentimes, because information has been disseminated quickly, content providers are not taking the time to research topics and assure quality and accuracy in their information.
• Misinformation – almost feels like a culmination of the above three issues; failure to supply context, editing, and quality can result in misinformation being disseminated.
• Fragmentation – Not all content is created equal; instead of this “melting pot of information” people assumed would exist by making the creator and user one and the same on the Internet, we have managed to still fragment populations.

Benefits included:

• Dialogue with Readers
• Production Costs Decrease
• Storage

These were chapters I definitely think would help me if I decide to shape my paper/presentation around identity construction and Internet writing, especially focusing on the user now produser.