This document looks at the evolution of mass communication over time as well as the types. It analyses how mass communication is utilized by individuals, groups and during political elections. Takes in to account how the tactics such as agenda setting and algorithms alter political agendas, electio...
14th September 2021
Fall Semester
SOSA 3546 Social Media and Politics
Professor Scott Pruysers
Week two
Unmediated & Fast Communication
Part of the promise of social media
Non Professional Content
● At the same time as potentially “leveling the playing field” it allows political parties
candidates and activists to create non professional content.
Concerns about web 2.0
- User generated nature of web 2.0 provides the opportunity for anyone to share and
place value on their opinions, to distribute potentially uniformed political commentary and
conceal bias and hidden agendas
- Concerns about eroding, redefinition or outright loss of citizen privacy are an increasing
issue because of the harvesting of social media data and metadata without citizen
knowledge or permission.
Types (Categories) of Communication
● Intrapersonal Communication
● Interpersonal Communication
● Group Communication
● Extrapersonal Communication
● Mass Communication
Mass Media
- Books have existed for a long time, but mass media began with the printing press
- Costs were very high but it set the stage for the mass media
- High circulation of newspapers begins in 1800s
Many Defining CharacteristicsCommunication that is mediated through specific technologies
-Involves one or few transmitters who communicate with a large audience
- Media that can reach others who are far removed both time and space
- Communication that is mediated through specific technologies
, Social media and technology allows for mass messaging for a unanimous message to reach
across countries or the globe
Learning about Politics
➔ Personal experience
➔ Social networks - Friends and Family
➔ By-product or accidental learning
Evolving Nature of Political Communication
First two decades after WWII
- Communication largely is limited to print and radio
- Tv is on the horizon
Parties were aligned with deeply entrenched cleavages
- Voter =s had high levels of party attachment and party identification
Political communication in this age had three defining strategies
Second age of Political communication
-New age of communication emerges with adoption of television
- 1960s TV is widespread and in a majority of homes
- At the same time,partisanship was weakening and cleavages disappearing
- More floating voters and few partisans
- Post materialism and value change that occurs post WWII
4 major transformations during this age
● Voters become less selective on their news options
● Television news adopts a new strategy at neutrality attempts to say they are natural and
unbiased
● Communication moves from print and media to Tv now messages are nationwide
● Parties and Politicians discover how to target the news outlets changing slogans ,
posters and attempting to get media attention.
Third age of Political communication
- Marked by the proliferation of the means of communication
- Introduction of the internet, major changes to Tv, etc
Major changes to television
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