Normative Theories of Mass Communication

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Normative Theories of Mass Communication

• Baran Davis (2003)
• Chapters 5 6
• Severin Tankard (1997) Chapter 16

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Review of the Slides

• At the end of this lesson students should be able
  to learn the following
• Normative Theories of Mass Communication
• Theories of the Press in various system.
• Siebert, Peterson Schramm (1956) Four Theories
  of the Press.
• Altschull (1995) conclusions on the roles of the
  worlds press system.
• The theories of Market Nations, Communitarian
  Nations, Advance Nations.

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• Lasswell and Wright (1960) functions and
  dysfunctions of mass media.

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• During the Yellow journalism era most mass media
  professionals cared very little for the need for
  news that are accurate, objective, keeping
  other public sensitivities.
• Some theories of media professionalism was very
  much needed. Broad questions about the roles of
  the media in its day to day operation the
  society deemed necessary.

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• Answers to the above questions are found in the
  Normative theories.
• that is a type of theory that describes an
  ideal way of the media should be structured and
  operated within the society

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What is Normative Theory ?

• This theory explains how ideal media ought to
  operate with specific system of social values.
  Theories of the press and its role in a society
  would fit in this category.
• It is a synthesis of ideas developed over the
  past four centuries.

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The Origin of Normative Theories

• Since the beginning of the 20th century the role
  of mass media were hotly debated.
• As we have seen in the earlier chapter the First
  Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees the
  freedom of the press and people argued for the
  radical libertarian ideals.

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• Which means that people believed in total
  libertarianism on one hand that society should
  be govern in the good rational public and
  totally unregulated media.
• The extreme argument is also true that some who
  believed that there is a need for direct
  regulation of the media especially by government
  agency as in Lasswells and Lippmanns idea of
  technocratic control.

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Four Theories of the Press

• Siebert, Peterson Schramn (1956) proposed that
  the press system is divided into four categories
• 1. Authoritarian Theory
• 2. Libertarian Theory
• 3. Social Responsibility Theory
• 4. Soviet-Totalitarian Theory

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• The Four theories of the press are the Normative
  theories i.e . These theories were based on
  observations and not from hypotheses testing.
• The authors (Siebert, Peterson Schramm, 1956)
  divided the worlds press into four categories as
  mentioned above.

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1. Authoritarian Theory

• A. DEVELOPMENT
• 16th 17th century England. Widely adopted and
  still in practice in many places.
• B. PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophy of absolute monarch, his government or
  both.

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• C. MAIN PURPOSE
• To support and advance the policies of the
  government in power and to serve the state.
• D. WHO HAS THE RIIGHT TO USE THE MEDIA
• Whoever get the royal patent or similar
  permission.

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• E. HOW ARE THE MEDIA CONTROLLED?
• Government patents , guilds, licensing, sometimes
  censorship.
• F. WHAT IS PROVIDEN?
• Criticism of the political machinery and
  officials in power.

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• G. OWNERSHIP
• Private or public
• H. ESSENTIAL DIFERENCE FROM OTHERS
• Instrument for effecting government policy ,
  through not necessary government owned.

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2. Libertarian Theory

• A. DEVELOPMENT
• Adopted by England after 1688 and in the U.S.
  Influential elsewhere.
• B. PHILOSOPHY
• Writing of Milton, Loke, Mill and general
  philosophy or rationalism and natural rights.

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• C. MAIN PURPOSE
• To inform, entertain, sell but chiefly to help
  discover truth and to check on the government.
• D. WHO HAS THE RIIGHT TO USE THE MEDIA
• Anyone with economic means to do so

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• E. HOW ARE THE MEDIA CONTROLLED?
• By self right process of truth in free market
  place of ideas and by courts.
• F. WHAT IS PROVIDEN?
• Defamation, obscenity, indecency, wartime sedition

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• G. OWNERSHIP
• Chiefly private
• H. ESSENTIAL DIFERENCE FROM OTHERS
• Instrument for checking on government and meeting
  other needs of society

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Strength Weakness of Libertarianism

• STRENGTH
• Value media freedom.
• Is consistent with the US. Media traditions.
• Values individuals.
• Preclude (prevent from happening) government
  control of media

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• WEAKNESS
• It is overly optimistic about media willingness
  to meet responsibilities.
• It is overly optimistic about individuals ethics
  and rationality.
• Ignores the need for reasonable control of
  media.
• Ignores the dilemmas posed by conflicting
  freedoms (e.g free press vs personal privacy)

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3. Social Responsibility

• A. DEVELOPMENT
• In the U.S. in the 20th century
• B. PHILOSOPHY
• Writing of W.E. Hocking. Commission on freedom of
  Press, and practitioners , media codes

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• C. MAIN PURPOSE
• To inform, entertain, sell but chiefly to raise
  conflict to the plane of discussion.
• D. WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO USE THE MEDIA
• Everyone who has something to say

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• E. HOW ARE THE MEDIA CONTROLLED?
• Community opinion, consumers action, professional
  ethics.
• F. WHAT IS PROVIDEN?
• Serious invitation of recognize private rights
  and vital social interests

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• G. OWNERSHIP
• Private unless government has to take over to
  ensure public service.
• H. ESSENTIAL DIFERENCE FROM OTHERS
• Media must assume obligation of social
  responsibility and if they do not, someone must
  see that they do

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Strength Weakness of the Libertarianism

• STRENGTH
• Values media responsibility
• Value audience responsibility
• Limit media intrusion in media operation
• Allows reasonable government control of media

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• Values diversity and pluralism
• Aids the powerless
• Appeals to the best instincts of media
  practitioners and audience
• Is consistent with the US legal tradition

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• WEAKNESSES
• It is overly optimistic about media willingness
  to meet responsibility.
• It is overly optimistic about individual
  responsibility.
• Underestimate the power of profit motivation
  competition.
• Legitimizes status quo

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4. Soviet Totalitarian Theory

• A. DEVELOPMENT
• In Soviet Union, although some of the same things
  were done by Nazis Italians.
• B. PHILOSOPHY
• Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist thought, with mixture
  of Hagel and the 19 century Russian thinking.

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• C. MAIN PURPOSE
• To continue to the success and continuance of
  the Soviet Socialist System especially that led
  to the dictatorship of the party.
• D. WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO USE THE MEDIA
• Loyal and orthodox party members

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• E. HOW ARE THE MEDIA CONTROLLED?
• Surveillance and economic or political action of
  government
• F. WHAT IS PROVIDEN?
• Criticism of the party objectives as distinguish
  from tactics

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• G. OWNERSHIP
• Public
• H. ESSENTIAL DIFERENCE FROM OTHERS
• State owned and closely controlled media existing
  solely as arms of eh state.

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• In 1995, communication scholar by the name
  Altschull wrote a book about news as agents of
  power - Agents of power criticizing the Four
  Theories of the Press that are no longer
  relevant in modern times.
• In modern times, independent press cannot exist
  and that mass media are agents of those who hold
  the economic, political and social power in any
  system.

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• Altschull (1995) conclusion were
• 1. All press systems, are agents of the people
  who exercise political economic power.
  Newspapers, magazines broadcasting are not
  independent. But they have the potential to
  exercise independent power.

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• 2. The content of the news media always
  reflects the interests of those who finance the
  press (ownership)
• 3. All press systems are based on the belief in
  free expression. Although free expression is
  defined in different ways.

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• 4. All press systems endorse the doctrine of
  social responsibility. And the press serve the
  interest of the of the people. The press also
  allows access to the people.
• 5. Schools of journalism transmit the
  ideologies value systems of the society in
  which they exist. People in power maintain
  their control of the media.

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• 7. Press practices always differ from theory.
• Altschull (1995) proposed three other theories
  in its place
• 1. Market Nations Theory,
• 2. Communitarian Nations Theory,
• 3. Advance Nations Theory.

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• The differences between these theories were based
  under three main headings as follows
• A. The article of faith
• B. Purpose of Journalism
• C. Views of the Press Freedom

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A. MARKET NATIONS THEORY

• ARTICLES OF FAITH
• The press is free from outside interference.
• The press serves the public rights to know.
• The press reports fairly and objectivity.

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• PURPOSE OF JOURNALISM
• To seek truth
• To be socially responsible.
• To inform / educate politically / culturally.

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• To serve the people impartially to support
  capitalist doctrine.
• To serve as watchdog of government.

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• VIEWS OF THE PRESS FREEDOM
• A free press means journalist are free from all
  outside control.
• A free press is one in which the press is not
  servile (willingness to serve) to power and not
  be manipulated by power.

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• No national press is needed to ensure a free
  press.

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B. Communitarian Nations Theory

• ARTICLES OF FAITH
• The press transform and educate people to class
  cultural consciousness.
• The press provides for the objective needs of
  the people
• The press reports objectivity about the
  realities of experience

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• PURPOSE OF JOURNALISM
• To search the truth
• To be socially responsible.
• To educate the people and enlist allies
  politically and culturally.
• To serve the people by demanding support for
  correct doctrine.
• To mold views behavior.

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• VIEWS OF PRESS FREEDOM
• A free press means all opinions are published,
  not only those of the rich and powerful.
• A free press is required to counter oppression
  of legitimate communities.

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C. Advance Nations Theory

• ARTICLES OF FAITH
• The press is unifying and not a divisive force.
• The press is a device for beneficial social
  change.
• The press is meant to be used for two-way
  exchanges between journalists and readers.

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• PURPOSE OF JOURNALISM
• To serve the truth
• To socially responsible.
• To educate politically and culturally.
• To serve the people by seeking in partnership
  with government, change for beneficial purpose.
• To serve the instrument of peace.

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• VIEWS OF PRESS FREEDOM
• A free press means a freedom of conscience for
  journalists.
• Press freedom is less important than the
  viability of the nation.
• A national press policy is needed to provide
  legal safeguards for freedom.

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Functions of the mass Media (Lasswell and Wright,
1960)

• Lasswell and Wright (1960) were early scholars
  suggesting the major functions of mass media in
  the society based on the analysis of functions
  and dysfunctions.
• They cited 4 functions dysfunctions of mass
  media as follows

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The Functions of mass media (Lesswell Wright,
1960)

• 1. Surveillance function
• That information provide news warning of
  natural dangers.
• Media as instruments essential to the economy,
  public and society.
• provide exposure to personalities and events.

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• 2. Correlation function
• That the media selects, interprets
• Enforce social norms citizens based on
  consensus expose deviants.
• Media gives status conferral opinion
  leaders.

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• Impedes threats to social stability.
• Monitors and managed public opinions.
• Checks on government.

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• 3. Transmission of culture function
• Increases social cohesion.
• Reduces anomie- sense of estrangement.
• Continue socialization education, aids,
  integration

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• 4. Entertainment
• A sense of escapism, fills leisure time.
• Creates mass culture. Art / music.
• Raise tastes, preference

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The Dysfunction of mass media (Lesswell Wright,
1960).

• Possibly of panic, overemphasis
• Narcotization effects too much to assimilate
• Over exposure
• Enhance conformity, perpetuates stereotype
• Crates pseudo events, images, personalities

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• Impedes social change, innovation
• Minimize criticism, tyranny of majority.
• Preserves extends power.
• Reduces variety of subcultures, arguments
• Depersonalizes, lack of personal contact

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• Tendency for standardization
• Impedes cultural growth.
• Encourages escapism, preoccupation with leisure.
• Corrupts fine art.
• Lower taste. Impedes growth

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Conditions of Media Effectiveness

• Lazarfeld and Merton argued that there are 3
  conditions are required for media effectiveness.
  They are as follows
• (a) Monopolization. It only occurs in the absent
  of other media. It only exist in a authoritarian
  society in an absent of countering views.

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• (b) Canalization is the process of reinforcing
  existing patterns or behavior or attitude.
• (c ) Supplementation is the process the media
  interacts with the audience through face to face
  contacts.

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Review what you have learned

• A. At the end of this lesson you should be able
  to recognize the four theories of the press
  namely Authoritarian, Libertarian, Social
  Responsibility, Sviet-Totalitarian and
  additional three more theories of the of the
  mass media namely the Market Nations,
  Communitarian Nations and the Advancing Nations.

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• B. You should be able also identify the six
  arguments forwarded by Altschull (1995) on the
  functions of the mass media.
• C. In addition you should be able to list the
  functions and dysfunctions of the mass media as
  proposed by Lesswell and Wright (1960).