COM2604 ASSIGNMENT 1
SEMESTER 2 2022
UNISA
,INSERT DECLARATION
, Table of Contents
Page
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................1
QUESTION 1...........................................................................................................................................1
APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF MASS COMMUNICATION...............................................................1
1.1. Mass communication defined.................................................................................................1
1.2. Perspectives on mass communication....................................................................................2
1.3.1. The technological determinism approach............................................................................3
1.3.2. The poststructionalist/postmodern approach.....................................................................4
QUESTION 2...........................................................................................................................................5
THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE MEDIA.......................................................................................5
2.1. Two main functions of media..................................................................................................5
2.2. The political functions of the mass media...............................................................................5
2.2.1. Pluralism..............................................................................................................................5
2.2.2. Internal and external plurality.............................................................................................6
2.2.3. Micro-plurality.....................................................................................................................6
2.2.4. Meso-plurality......................................................................................................................6
2.2.5. Macro-plurality....................................................................................................................7
QUESTION 3...........................................................................................................................................8
THE EFFECTS OF MASS COMMUNICATION (EFFECT STUDIES)...........................................................8
Gauntlett’s following points of criticisms against the effects paradigm.........................................8
3.1. The effects model deals with the social problems backwards................................................8
3.2. The effects model treats children as inadequate....................................................................8
3.3. The effects model inadequately defines its own objectives....................................................8
3.4. The effects model is selective in its criticisms of media descriptions of violence...................9
QUESTION 4.........................................................................................................................................10
MEDIA CULTURE AND THE IDEOLOGICAL POWER OF THE MEDIA...................................................10
4.1. Ideology defined...................................................................................................................10
4.2. Ideology has an important social function which allows society to function in an ordered
way..............................................................................................................................................11
QUESTION 5.........................................................................................................................................12
GLOBALISATION...............................................................................................................................12
5.1. Commercialisation................................................................................................................12
5.3. Privatisation..........................................................................................................................13
SEMESTER 2 2022
UNISA
,INSERT DECLARATION
, Table of Contents
Page
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................1
QUESTION 1...........................................................................................................................................1
APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF MASS COMMUNICATION...............................................................1
1.1. Mass communication defined.................................................................................................1
1.2. Perspectives on mass communication....................................................................................2
1.3.1. The technological determinism approach............................................................................3
1.3.2. The poststructionalist/postmodern approach.....................................................................4
QUESTION 2...........................................................................................................................................5
THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE MEDIA.......................................................................................5
2.1. Two main functions of media..................................................................................................5
2.2. The political functions of the mass media...............................................................................5
2.2.1. Pluralism..............................................................................................................................5
2.2.2. Internal and external plurality.............................................................................................6
2.2.3. Micro-plurality.....................................................................................................................6
2.2.4. Meso-plurality......................................................................................................................6
2.2.5. Macro-plurality....................................................................................................................7
QUESTION 3...........................................................................................................................................8
THE EFFECTS OF MASS COMMUNICATION (EFFECT STUDIES)...........................................................8
Gauntlett’s following points of criticisms against the effects paradigm.........................................8
3.1. The effects model deals with the social problems backwards................................................8
3.2. The effects model treats children as inadequate....................................................................8
3.3. The effects model inadequately defines its own objectives....................................................8
3.4. The effects model is selective in its criticisms of media descriptions of violence...................9
QUESTION 4.........................................................................................................................................10
MEDIA CULTURE AND THE IDEOLOGICAL POWER OF THE MEDIA...................................................10
4.1. Ideology defined...................................................................................................................10
4.2. Ideology has an important social function which allows society to function in an ordered
way..............................................................................................................................................11
QUESTION 5.........................................................................................................................................12
GLOBALISATION...............................................................................................................................12
5.1. Commercialisation................................................................................................................12
5.3. Privatisation..........................................................................................................................13
