Communications Theory - Case Study Example

Communications Theory Name Institution Communications Theory Research Question: To what extent can communications theory illuminate areas of professional communications practice? Introduction Mass communication is an important concept in the modern society because of the ability to enhance the awareness of the public in relation to the current as well as the past events. It relates to the ability of the professional communicators to utilise technological devices to share messages over the great distances with the aim of influencing large audiences. Mass communication incorporates facets such as newspapers, books, television, and radio sets vital in controlling the information accessible to the society or the target audiences. The main objective of this research is to adopt one of the theories of the media industries to execute an extensive analysis of a media organization. Communication theories are essential elements in understanding the operations of the practitioners of the media industry. In order to address this objective, this research will focus on the use of agenda-setting theory to facilitate the analysis of an example of media organisation within the relevant industry. The outcome of the research will be vital in understanding the operations of the media entities in relation to the communication theories. Communications theories and models are critical concepts illustrating the interaction between the media fraternity and the target audience within the stated geographical location. Some of the critical theories of communication include the theory of message, the audience, the industry, the medium, and the sociology of communication. In the course of communication, it is essential for the receiver and the sender of the message to be in accord in relation to the level of understanding and incorporation of the information. In some cases, communicators tend to blame the audience for not accepting a message. This might not be the case since senders often choose inappropriate encoding processes and channels in interacting with the essential audiences (Lavertu & Weimer, 2009). This makes it ideal for the media industry to focus on the development and implementation of accurate encoding processes with the aim of realising effective communication within the fraternity. On the other hand, it is the obligation of the media fraternity to focus on the elimination of the barriers limiting communication between the target audience and the sender of the message. This makes it ideal for the media entities to integrate quality communication theories in eliminating any inconvenience that might develop from the interaction with the target audience. In order to eliminate barriers to effective communication within the industry, it is essential for the operators in the industry to adopt and deliver message so that it get the attention of the intended or targeted audiences (Jones & Wicks, 2009). Furthermore, it is the obligation of the media entities to focus on relating to the common experiences between the destination and the source of information. This is vital in the provision of effective ways towards meeting the personality needs appropriate and essential to the group situation with reference to the receiver of the message (Cushman, 2000). Moreover, the target audiences will have the perfect opportunity to decode and respond to the message relating to the common experiences between the source and the destination (target audience). Some of the sources of ineffective communication that the media fraternity needs to avoid include limitation of the social contact, meagre time for paying attention, artificial censorship, and shrinking of the new holes within the media industry (McCoy& Hargie, 2003). The media practitioners focus on the elimination of the communication barriers with the help of the seven Cs of communication. These elements include credibility, content, capability, channels, continuity, clarity, and context. Overview of Agenda-Setting Theory This is one of the critical communication theories focusing on understanding of the operations of the media practitioners and industry in addressing the needs and preferences of the target audiences. According to McCombs and Shaw (1993), the media has the role of telling people what to think about in the broad terms. In addition, the media enhances the ability of the individuals or target audiences in thinking about the specific items as well as subjects to think about, with reference to the events within the society or across the globe. From this perspective, media has the tendency of shaping top-of-mind presence in relation to the existing societal issues. Nevertheless, in relation to the next news cycle, a topic from the previous day might disappear. This makes its importance and significance to disappear among the news customers or consumers. In the development of this agenda-setting theory, Rogers and Dearing (1996) focused on the provision of the key agenda-setting concepts with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the influence of the media operators in relation to the needs and preferences of the consumers. According to these new developments, the theory had the tendency to incorporate two vital concepts. The first concept (concept 1) notes that the Agenda-setting process is a very fluid as well as dynamic attempt with the aim of gaining attention of the media, the public, and the policy makers. The second concept (concept 2) notes that the agenda constitutes a ‘set of issues’ affecting the society thus appealing to the needs and demands of the consumers in the diverse locations and settings across the world (MacCombs, 2004). According to the current research studies, agenda-setting theory as a communication model has the ability to be multi-directional in addressing the needs and preferences of the consumers in diverse markets and settings consuming the media products and services. In order to control our accessibility to news and other information contents, the media fraternity focuses on adopting and implementing the concepts of gate keeping and agenda-setting theory (Livingstone, 1997). Gatekeeping refers to the series of checkpoints that the news has to go through prior to reaching the large audience. Some of these gatekeepers include the reporters, writers, and editors preceding the agenda-setting theory in the media industry (O’Hair, 2005). Agenda-setting theory is the process through which the mass media determines what the society thinks and worries about on the course of delivering the message to the target audience. The media has the ability to dominate the creation of the pictures in the heads of the target audiences thus framing the way the society or target audiences react to the news content. The agenda-setting process is vital in remodelling of the events occurring across the environment into a simpler model for easier decoding by the society members or the large audience consuming the products and services within the media industry (Baran & Davis, 2009). This indicates that the theory focuses on evaluation of the impact of media content on the cognitive change among the target audiences across the globe. The theory focuses on the usage of two levels to affect the cognitive development of the society members while encoding the message from the media practitioners (Ortner, 2006). The first level focuses on integration of the common subjects, which are important to the target audiences. On the other hand, the second level decides what parts of the subject are important. The two levels are essential in realisation and understanding of the functioning of the theory towards affecting the image and content in the minds of the target audiences. The theory is essential in offering power to the media towards establishing the news we see or hear under the influence of the technological advancements in the modern society. In addressing the objective of this research question, the research work will focus on integration of the agenda-setting theory in the context of two critical media practitioners: BBC and CNN. Agenda-Setting theory Analysis: Case of CNN There are two critical assumptions in relation to the portrayal of the agenda-setting theory in the case of CNN. The first assumption notes that the press and the media do not reflect reality rather; they filter and shape reality in accordance with the expectations of the society members. Secondly, the concentration of the media on few issues as well as subjects leads to the development of the public perception that the issues are more important than others within the society are. Diverse media have different agenda-setting potentiality thus aiding the public’s perception of the persuasive role of the media with reference to the political communication systems. This leads to the notion that the media might not achieve its goals and objectives on telling the target audience what to think, but the practitioners have greater chances of success in telling the target audiences on what to think about in relation to the news content. In CNN, the agenda-setting theory of communication operates as the gatekeepers in relation to the transmission and accessibility to vital information. CNN uses this concept to set its own agenda in relation to what the media owners or practitioners deem as the most important issues affecting the society. CNN decides on these issues prior to giving them the highest importance in the content presentation to the target audiences. CNN focuses on highlighting these facets because of the belief that the target audience should know about them in the course of developing their ability to think effectively and efficiently. In case CNN fails to mention something in the course of presenting information to the target audience, it is probably something the target audience should not know about with reference to issues affecting the society. This relates to the benefits of the target audience as well as the media operators in the exploitation of the agenda-setting theory (Becker, 2008). Like any other news outlet, CNN has its own agenda with reference to their interest as well as what they perceive to the interests of the target audience or the masses. It is critical to note that the ability of the media practitioners and outlets to draw our attention to certain issues does not translate to critical effects on the perception of individuals in relation to diverse issues. CNN (Cable News Network) is the first news channel to offer 24-hour coverage in the context of the United States. CNN continues to express the essence of the agenda-setting theory of communication for the achievement of the increase in the political attention. This is through continuous and instantaneous coverage of the particular conflicts, international issues, diplomatic incidents, and few problems affecting the society. In this context, the media or the news cycle with reference to CNN focuses on the acquisition of the political attention with the belief that they are vital issues in accordance with the perception of the governing politicians. The impact of agenda-setting theory in the interaction between the media practitioners and the target audience has been the development of the immediate public awareness (Harris, 2009). In addition, the approach contributes towards assessment of the strategic decisions as they unfold to the masses. Furthermore, CNN uses this concept or theory in the improvement of the transparency under the influence of the deeper penetration and wider broadcast of statements as well as actions of the public figures. On the other hand, this approach has the potentiality of complicating sensitive diplomatic issues thus requiring the official reactions from the federal or state governments who would prefer their noncommittal position (Larocca, 2006). One of the prime cases of agenda-setting theory is the case of the daily show by CNN. In 2004, Jon Steward had a guest appearance on the CNN debate show, Crossfire, which had the opportunity to bring pundits from the left and right wings to debate under critical current issues affecting the United States. In the course of this debate, Stewart focused on using his quest appearance as the opportunity to attack the show, which he termed as ‘hurting America’. This led to the drop in the popularity of the debate show making CNN to decline in renewing its contract thus the eventual cancelation of the show (Smith & Riley, 2011). The masses had the opportunity to rely on Steward’s agenda pointing out the flaws and absurdities of the political systems of the United States. The intention of the debate show was to demonstrate that left and right elements had issues. On the other hand, Stewart saw this as constant shouting competitions. The masses listened and responded to his argument concerning the show. The show is a critical example of the agenda-setting theory stating that elements of the media do not necessarily information the target audience on what to think. On the other hand, the media plays a critical in what to think about by the masses. In order to achieve this, CNN controls issues accessible to the public thus influencing what the masses care about with reference to diverse issues affecting their lives. This is a common technique in the presentation of the news mediums enabling media practitioners to set the agenda through showing the relevant stories with the ability to promote and enhance the alleged agenda. CNN uses this concept of the communication theory to focus on the development of the policies and public opinions within reference to the essence of the CNN effect. The approach is essential in determination of what should constitute the news as well as other programs accessible to the masses under the influence of the codes of conducts with the aim of promoting ethics in the provision of services and products to the target audience. The implementation of the agenda-setting theory enables the CNN to focus on the promotion of the interaction with the masses on relevant political, social, economic, and cultural issues. This is through controlling the process of thinking or cognitive development of the masses in relation to the current critical issues within the society or across the globe. The approach is critical in understanding the role played by communication theoretical perceptions on the provision of services and products to the society by the media practitioners and industry. In addition, the integration of the agenda-setting theory is essential in understanding the influence as well as operation of the vital media practitioners and entities such as CNN in their programming process to address the needs and preferences of the society members (Bowen, 2000). Agenda-Setting theory Analysis: Case of BBC Agenda-setting theory is also an essential concept in the demonstration and presentation of key news content in determining the components that the masses must think about in relation to the issues affecting the society. In the context of BBC media entity, agenda-setting theory is essential in the generation of political bias and perceptions among the members of the society consuming the media content. According to the recent evaluations, approximately two in five potential voters believe that the BBC media entity has a political bias in the way it covers news as well as current events within the United Kingdom and across the world. Approximately 37 percent of the participant in this research noted that the media practitioner is neutral in its attempts to address the needs and preference of the masses. Integration of about 23 percent who did not take part in the research contributes to the achievement of approximately 60 percent of the individuals who believe that the BBC is not bias in its approach in covering news as well as the current issues affecting the society members. Integration of the agenda-setting theory contributes towards understanding of the implementation and organization of the programming processes and procedures in the modern society affecting the perception of the masses as they consume diverse products and services from the media. In addition, the implementation of the theory enables the media entity to determine the type of information that would reach the masses for the interests of the media entities as well as the individuals or society members. In the context of Britain, the concept of agenda-setting theory is essential in ensuring that the national political parties have equal and considerable success in the process of capturing the needs and news agenda. This is also similar to the case of the major media entities in diverse nations such as the United States and Australia focusing on enlightening the masses on the potential political and current issues as well as events. The media entities must focus on exploitation of the corresponding agendas put forward by the national parities in the course of the presidential campaigns. During election periods, the campaigns have the tendency of dominating the formation of the public and the media agenda. In this context, the media focuses on the essence of the public agenda to proximate the public opinion in relation to the current events and issues affecting the lives of the society members. BBC focuses on the use of elections to offer an intensive setting for the examination of the influence of the news sources on the media contributing to the impact of the media on the society members or formation of the public opinion. Agenda-setting theory in this case contributes towards the formation of the public opinion by offering the masses critical objects and issues to think about in the course of their interaction with the society members and media entities or industry. The case of coverage of the national and international events by BBC highlights the influence of the agenda-setting theory of communication with reference to interaction between the society members and the media practitioners. Impact of the Agenda-Setting theory The agenda-setting theory is one of the most influential communication models focusing on the evaluation of the operations of the media industry and its practitioners towards addressing the needs and preferences of the society members. This is because of the ability of the theory to adhere to the scientific theories. The theory has an explanatory power because of its ability to illustrate and explain why most of the individuals prioritize economic, political, and social issues as important in comparison to others in the course of their presentation to their masses. The presentation of such news enables the society to understand the important issues in accordance with the illustration of the media practitioners. In addition, the theory has the predictive power to facilitate forecasting of whether individuals are exposed to the same media content thus feeling the same issues are important towards the development of the society. It is also possible to falsify the theory in that the exposure of the individuals to the same media content would not make then consider the issues as important or crucial than others within the society. The theory also focuses on the application of its organizing power to enable individuals to organize their existing knowledge in relation to the media effects. Furthermore, the communication theory is essential from the perspective that its meta-theoretical assumptions are balanced on the scientific side. Individuals also use the theory to execute further research in relation to the operations of the media industry and its relevant practitioners with reference to the programming and presentation of the key issues within the industry. Criticisms of Agenda-Setting theory The implementation of the agenda-setting theory has been criticized on diverse grounds in relation to its levels of concepts in determining the interaction between the media entities and the masses. One of the essential grounds for criticizing the agenda-setting theory is the fact that the high correlation was spurious rather than the essence in which both the media and the individual respond independently to an event or issue within the nation or across the globe. It is essential to note that the media provides the primary means by which individuals learn about an event or issue. This deems the suggestion of the agenda-setting theory to be illogical with reference to the first and second concepts in illustrating the impact of the media content on the individuals consuming the products and services of the media industry. Nevertheless, this study notes that media has the ability to determine or generate the public agenda. In addition, the key factor transmitting the agenda from the media is the salience of the issues as the media present them to the target audiences in diverse locations and contexts. Conclusion The main objective of this research was to adopt one of the theories of the media industries to execute an extensive analysis of a media organization. Communication theories are essential elements in understanding the operations of the practitioners of the media industry. In order to address this objective, this research focused on the use of agenda-setting theory to facilitate the analysis of an example of media organisation within the relevant industry. According to McCombs and Shaw (1993), the media has the role of telling people what to think about in the broad terms. In addition, the media enhances the ability of the individuals or target audiences in thinking about the specific items as well as subjects to think about, with reference to the events within the society or across the globe. From this perspective, media has the tendency of shaping top-of-mind presence in relation to the existing societal issues. The theory focuses on the usage of two levels to affect the cognitive development of the society members while encoding the message from the media practitioners. The first level focuses on integration of the common subjects, which are important to the target audiences. On the other hand, the second level decides what parts of the subject are important. The two levels are essential in realisation and understanding of the functioning of the theory towards affecting the image and content in the minds of the target audiences. References Livingston Steven, (1997). “Clarifying the CNN Effect: an examination of media effects according to type of military intervention.” http://www.genocide- watch.org/images/1997ClarifyingtheCNNEffect-Livingston.pdf MacCombs, M. (2004). Setting the agenda: The mass media and public opinion. Cambridge, UK: Polity. Becker, M. C. (2008). Handbook of organizational routines. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Harris, M. (2009). Theories of culture in postmodern times. Walnut Creek [u.a.: AltaMira Press. Ortner, S. B. (2006). Anthropology and social theory: Culture, power, and the acting subject. Durham: Duke University. Smith, P., & Riley, A. (2011). Cultural Theory: An Introduction. Chicester: Wiley. Aggarwal, V. B., & Gupta, V. S. (2001). Handbook of journalism and mass communication. New Delhi: Concept. O'Hair, H. D. (2005). Communication and media. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Baran, S. J., & Davis, D. K. (2009). Mass communication theory: Foundations, ferment, and future. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Larocca, R. T. (2006). The presidential agenda: Sources of executive influence in Congress. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. Cushman, D. P. (2000). Stimulating and integrating the development of organizational communication: High-speed management theory. Management Communication Quarterly : McQ, 13(3), 486-501. Lavertu, S., & Weimer, D. L. (2009). Integrating delegation into the policy theory literature. Policy Studies Journal, 37(1), 93-102. Bowen, S. A. (2000). A theory of ethical issues management: Contributions of kantian deontology to public relations' ethics and decision-making. (Order No. 9982787, University of Maryland College Park). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 536-536. Jones, T. M., & Wicks, A. C. (2009). Convergent stakeholder theory. Academy of Management. the Academy of Management Review, 24(2), 206-221. McCoy, M., & Hargie, O. (2003). Implications of mass communication theory for asymmetric public relations evaluation. Journal of Communication Management, 7(4), 304-316. Read More

Some of the sources of ineffective communication that the media fraternity needs to avoid include limitation of the social contact, meagre time for paying attention, artificial censorship, and shrinking of the new holes within the media industry (McCoy& Hargie, 2003). The media practitioners focus on the elimination of the communication barriers with the help of the seven Cs of communication. These elements include credibility, content, capability, channels, continuity, clarity, and context.

Overview of Agenda-Setting Theory This is one of the critical communication theories focusing on understanding of the operations of the media practitioners and industry in addressing the needs and preferences of the target audiences. According to McCombs and Shaw (1993), the media has the role of telling people what to think about in the broad terms. In addition, the media enhances the ability of the individuals or target audiences in thinking about the specific items as well as subjects to think about, with reference to the events within the society or across the globe.

From this perspective, media has the tendency of shaping top-of-mind presence in relation to the existing societal issues. Nevertheless, in relation to the next news cycle, a topic from the previous day might disappear. This makes its importance and significance to disappear among the news customers or consumers. In the development of this agenda-setting theory, Rogers and Dearing (1996) focused on the provision of the key agenda-setting concepts with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the influence of the media operators in relation to the needs and preferences of the consumers.

According to these new developments, the theory had the tendency to incorporate two vital concepts. The first concept (concept 1) notes that the Agenda-setting process is a very fluid as well as dynamic attempt with the aim of gaining attention of the media, the public, and the policy makers. The second concept (concept 2) notes that the agenda constitutes a ‘set of issues’ affecting the society thus appealing to the needs and demands of the consumers in the diverse locations and settings across the world (MacCombs, 2004).

According to the current research studies, agenda-setting theory as a communication model has the ability to be multi-directional in addressing the needs and preferences of the consumers in diverse markets and settings consuming the media products and services. In order to control our accessibility to news and other information contents, the media fraternity focuses on adopting and implementing the concepts of gate keeping and agenda-setting theory (Livingstone, 1997). Gatekeeping refers to the series of checkpoints that the news has to go through prior to reaching the large audience.

Some of these gatekeepers include the reporters, writers, and editors preceding the agenda-setting theory in the media industry (O’Hair, 2005). Agenda-setting theory is the process through which the mass media determines what the society thinks and worries about on the course of delivering the message to the target audience. The media has the ability to dominate the creation of the pictures in the heads of the target audiences thus framing the way the society or target audiences react to the news content.

The agenda-setting process is vital in remodelling of the events occurring across the environment into a simpler model for easier decoding by the society members or the large audience consuming the products and services within the media industry (Baran & Davis, 2009). This indicates that the theory focuses on evaluation of the impact of media content on the cognitive change among the target audiences across the globe. The theory focuses on the usage of two levels to affect the cognitive development of the society members while encoding the message from the media practitioners (Ortner, 2006).

The first level focuses on integration of the common subjects, which are important to the target audiences.

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