Chapter 1

Here are some things to consider this week as you read Chapter 1 and review the Powerpoint. You do not need to respond to this post. However, if you have a questions about the material please post a question and I will do my best to answer. There will be a post from me requiring a response from you later in the week.

Think about the distinctions between personal, group and mass communication. Understand that Mass Comm, the focus of this class, is a relatively recent development in human history. What is the human invention, or inventions, that was required to allow Mass Comm to occur? Answer: technology. All forms of Mass Comm involve the use of technology.
å
Keep in mind the kind audience that content producers attract, and how that is changing over time. In the past everyone watched one of the three network nightly newscasts. Today news producers can target smaller audiences, with say Fox attracting a conservative audience and MSNBC going after a more liberal crowd. This change in the kind of audience targeted is an important concept we will touch on time and time again this semester, and it will be central to your Long Tail paper.

Will old models for Mass Comm providers remain viable in the future? Is there a place for USA Today in the 21st century?

What’s the difference between Mass Comm and Mass Media?

Media Literacy is critical if you are going to interact intelligently and understand the messages provided by the Mass Media? Do you have to understand the messenger to understand the message?

The chapter ends with a discussion about media finances. This is a recent change to the latest edition of the textbook, but is really out of place here (Text book publishers make these pointless changes so students and bookstores have to toss all the old editions and make everyone buy the new ones). Read through these pages but I will wait to focus on them in chapter three.