Theorizing International Communication

Communication is defined as the exchanging of information or news. Communication is the medium and “mass media” of how the information gets from one to the next. The study of mass media includes, theories, structures and organizations, content, audiences and effect. The theories concept in the study of mass media states that they are the nets that we cast on the world around us to explain, understand and master it. There is a certain motivation behind mastering it. The structures and organization is the idea that structure is examined through freedoms of expression. Content asks how do they cover the issues and what information do they cover. The audience aspect asks why do the audience have access to one over another. The effects aspect is the opposite of audience studies in that it examines how content changes behavior. It is the attitudes and opinions part of the study. The systems Theory Approach looks at society as an organism it asks what the role of media is and it uses Emerson’s system of rights, principles, practices and institutions. Other ideas used in theorizing international communications are public opinion asking was is the opinion thinking at broad, which can be influenced by propaganda. There is also dependency, which the media helps set an agenda for. And then there is cultural hegemony which according to the slides says that “a given class maintains hegemony over society both in direction and domination, persuasion and force” (Gramsci, 1971). And of course agenda-setting which will be explained further in another post.