Gatekeepers of Mass Media (Week 7)

Our world is becoming saturated by mass media. It has come to a point that it is even becoming common in developing countries, and due to this widespread phenomenon, we have to remain aware that such exposure to these effects of the media can somehow be positive and negative. Many would say that most of what we know comes from the media as it has the ability and the power and the network to be used to reach out to millions of people to relay messages, to influence and even to educate. However, we cannot avoid the fact that it has the power to affect, to manipulate and also to change opinions of the audiences due to the extensive exposure.

There are many different ways that mass communication is affecting our lives today such as the increase in the production of the thousands of magazines and newspapers and books that we have today definitely stimulated a responding rise in literacy. This form of communication brings knowledge and current information to the masses and it’s even hastier now with the use of the Internet. So are we, and our culture and our opinions shaped or even manipulated by the media through mass communications?

As we all know, we “see” the world based on individual differences of upbringing, race, gender, social economic status and life experiences. The results of these differences are that people perceive and interpret the world differently which in turn shape how we make sense of the world, people, issues, culture and society. As a result of these differences, we all create our own meanings of events around us, filtering information that reaches us through our own prejudices and prior knowledge, framing information so that it makes sense in our own context.

I feel that in the context of Singapore, our media has an agenda setting function. For example an event for the news, the reporter (gatekeeper) decides what stories to cover, what sources to interview, what questions to ask and what parts of the reporter’s very own input is enough to make a story, after which the process still goes through other rounds of filtering from the editor. So clearly, individual perceptions of the world and what things are important are in play in this process, but really, we are the real ‘gatekeepers” in the end. What do we think is important or relevant enough to permit through the gate of our conscious minds? In this context, the media does not reflect “reality”, they filter, shape and construct a “reality”.

The images and impressions and topics that appear in the mass media, especially on Television, serve to “cultivate” in all of us certain impressions of the world. These messages and the way they are framed, may serve to change our own individual perceptual frame of the world around us. The mass media build and maintain a stable set of images, stories about our culture, our society, who we are that govern our lives and how we see the world, and influence the decisions we make. Ultimately, mass media messages in sufficient accumulation may gradually influence our behaviour, attitudes, decisions and life choices.

Are we really different or simply unique? (Week 6)

We are a world of diversity, variance and inter-mixture. We interact with a myriad of different people of different backgrounds, race and most noticeably, of different cultures everyday; especially here in Singapore where we pride ourselves for being a multi-cultural society. It is a form of presenting “who” we are, an “identity of our history” and a way of showing others what is uniquely different from them.

As so, because of the fact that each culture, unique to their very own geographical position in the world, communication between different cultures is different. Culture is learned by listening to and observing the behavior of others within a group and it can be passed from person to person from generation to generation.

Today, both culture and communication have evolved considerably and have become interdependent of one another, to the point that communication is considered to be a product of culture. Thus, our own culture has a deep impact on our thoughts and behaviours. Since each culture has its distinct aspects, intercultural communication can be the cause of conflict and disorder.

When people of different cultures come together to interact, collaborate, correspond and acquaint, the interpretation of the verbal and non-verbal signals will be reflected upon differently. People from different cultures encode and decode messages differently, in contacts between people with different cultural norms and values, the intercultural contacts, there is a heightened chance of misunderstanding, miscommunication and mismanagement, of which damage to business and personal interests can be the result, if one is not well acquainted with each other’s norms, values, rules of life and codes of behaviour.

So, culture is often at the root of communication challenges. Exploring historical experiences and the ways in which various cultural groups have related to each other is key to opening channels for inter-cultural communication. When we become more aware of cultural differences, as well as conceiving cultural similarities, communication with others will be more effective.

Today, both culture and communication have evolved considerably and have become interdependent of one another, to the point that communication is considered to be a product of culture. Thus, our own culture has a deep impact on our thoughts and behaviours. Since each culture has its distinct aspects, intercultural communication can be the cause of conflict and disorder. There are three main issues which are at the root of the problem of inter-cultural miscommunication: language as a barrier, cultural diversity and ethnocentrism.

As we can see from the collection of the HSBC videos, we can see that different cultures command a different approach to communication, and it is important to observe these changes and underlying meaning to different communicating signals.

Lastly, we can always avoid inter-cultural miscommunications by never assuming that our own cultural context is always the right one and not generalizing and stereotyping the other parties’ judgment and approach but rather to receive it with an open mind.

“How come you know his name?” (Week 5)

A group can be defined as two or more humans that interact with one another, and accept expectations and obligations as members of a group that share a common identity.

There are characteristics that are shared among a group such as interaction, interdependence, shared behavioural standards and collective identity. As we all know, any social unit, be it peer groups, cliques, teams or a community, all consist of a number of individuals interacting with each other with respect to having common goals and motives.

Group communication basically implies a many-to-many communication style in a group; this goes beyond both one-to-one communication and one-to-many communication. Apart from the distinction in communication style, group communication, in most cases, requires certain reliable guarantees in terms of group synergy, support and commitment and meeting each other’s interpersonal needs.

Every group that we are in has the ability to grow and grow in size of numbers of participants, but is this productive for the group in terms of group effectiveness?

We can take a look at the video of how is it like to be interacting in a large group and in a small group.

In a large group, we tend not to be so involved with every single member of the group, this could be due to the difficultly of interaction, amount of time of interaction and also the proximity of space whereas in a small group, a lot of dealings and managements can be carried out on a more personal level, in terms which leads into a more “friendship” based kind of communication in a group.

Usually, the interpersonal interaction with a large group is usually very open, and these are usually deal with at our own definition of social space, where as in a small group, there is likelihood where we are dealing and interacting more from a personal space point of view.

Good communication skills can help you keep your head and confidently take charge of unfamiliar situations. People are more likely to listen to you, whatever you have to say, if you can express yourself well, and this is particularly useful in influencing and negotiating important personal, social or business matters. It also comes in handy in resolving conflict and dealing with difficult people.

So to effectively communicate in group communication, there has to be commitment, rules for communication, decision making and record keeping. A group is not so much about issues as it is about a relationship yet however, when we are interacting in a large group and a small group has its differences.

Communication is merely an expression of oneself and the exchange of ideas between people. In a day about 70 percent of our time is spent in communicating with the others. It is a well known fact that good communication is the back bone of any organization. The familiarising of different parties in a group is definitely more accented in a small group and that’s because the interaction is within our personal space, within a comfort zone where communication tends to flow easier between the parties involved. With a great communication flow, effectiveness and productivity will definitely be on a high.

You, Me or We? (Week 4)

One of the most distinctive aspects of human beings is that we are social. We are each affected by the presence of other people, we form relationships with other people, we join groups with other people, and we behave in certain ways towards members of our own and other groups.

Relationships vary in degree to which both intimacy and sharing occur. This implies the discovery and establishment of common ground over time – both attitudinal similiarities and social preference similarities. There are many different kinds of relationships as we know it, such as kinship where it involves a family whether genetically or through marriage. There are marriage as well and also non-formalized intimate relationships.

In the relationship maintenance process, relational needs are the most important things in the world, to us. Our needs affect our opinions, attitudes, and viewpoints. Generally we’re more aware of unfulfilled needs than the ones that are consistently met. Fundamental life needs in particular are so commonly accepted that we usually overlook them. No one is aware of the air breathed, the ground walked on, the water drunk, and yet these are the needs we miss most when gone. Relationships all have needs, and a good relationship is a mutual filling of these needs.

Take a look at the video; we can see the couple are having a communication breakdown. We can see how it actually comes into terms with advertising with a consumer as well. When two people have strong needs and each fills the other’s needs, there is a powerful interpersonal relationship. Unfortunately a great majority of people fail to see or to understand the other person’s needs. One reason raised by the female for relational dissolution is that she has changed and the guy is unable to adapt to that change of hers, hence resulting in relational dissolution. We see it in the rising cases of divorces and failing relationships amongst our friends, whether it is with their partners or family.

So what actually causes all these relationships to take a downturn?

There are good days and bad ones. Arguments, misunderstandings and disagreements are part and parcel of human interaction but too much, too often, and getting violent are unhealthy for the individuals involved. Most people take the shortest route to settle their differences. They walk off, break up and go separate ways. There are many different types of problems that causes the downfall of a relationship and by looking at the problems, we can slowly adjust ourselves round and fulfil the needs that our relationships are looking for.

We can always look at all those problems and note that communication is the most important factor when it comes down to solving problems. With communication, both sides of the party will learn to understand each other and one another’s’ needs and it is the fulfilment of these needs that keep the relationships alive. Couples that can identify their attraction to positive partner qualities such as compassion, intelligence and ability and most importantly, a willingness to communicate effectively will definitely have better outcomes.

Do actions speak louder than words? (Week 3)

Good communication is the foundation of successful relationships, both personally and professionally. But we communicate with much more than words. Nonverbal communication is a very important part of our lives. When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive countless wordless signals. It is commonly believed that nonverbal messages convey more meaning than the words themselves. Do actions speak louder than words?

Both verbal and nonverbal communication is related and very important in our interactions with others. There are many kinds of non verbal communication as we have learnt – Kinesics, Paralinguistic, Chronemics, Objectics or Artifects, Oculesis, Haptics, Proxemics and Physical Appearance. These are all silent infiltrators that have broad influences over our social environment. It provides us with a mode for conveying messages without the use of verbal language.

Very simply, communication is a back and forth process, there is always a source passing through a channel to a receiver. At a linguistic message for instance, the source (the person transmitting the message for example, speaking) must encode her/his thoughts into spoken language i.e. into sound waves. However, the reception of a visual message eliminates this encoding and decoding process. But we must also realise, different societies and environments with different cultures will have different interpretations for a single visual. The message will be interpreted differently depending on the cultural background of the person viewing it. One of the main industries that make full use of non verbal communication is the advertising field. In advertising, we know that the play of images is just as important as the textual information, even to the extent of convey the message with the exclusion of text sometimes. There are ‘hidden needs” that advertising rides on; emotional security, reassurance of worth, ego gratification, creative outlets, power, immortality, and love objects. People, consumers, are always governed by these needs. We need to feel valued and that they are important. We need to feel emotionally secured. We need to gratify our ego and our reassurance of worth. Advertisers know how to feed these needs. What better way to communicate across countries and different cultures and languages than the use of the image and non verbal communications?

Let us have a look at the videos “Creative Converse Ad” and “Converse Commercial”.

There are no figures or rather humanly figures in the first ad while kinesics is mainly used in the second ad, but we all can connect to the feelings and the messages that it is conveying to us. Especially in “Creative Converse Ad”, we feel the different stories even though the ad was using shoes but the ultimate message that it is trying to convey is that we can always create our own stories, we can always break out of the conformity of the norm, we will not always be judged by cultural stigmas.

I am not emphasising that verbal communication is not important, but it has to be and will always be enhanced and further strengthen by different non-verbal communications. Verbal and nonverbal communication is essential for effective communication. Nonverbal communication is subjective. Successful nonverbal communication depends on emotional self-awareness and an understanding of the cues you’re sending, along with the ability to accurately pick up on the cues others are sending you.

Power of Images on the Influence of Advertising (Week 2)

Nowadays, in this time and age, it is very difficult to disregard the influences that advertising have on us. It influences what we eat, what we wear, what we drink, and can have a certain effect on who we are. Advertising is a form of non verbal communication used in selling products or services. It is definitely an extremely influential source to communicate messages to the consumers; the name of the product and how this product or service could benefit them potentially. Adverts push us into buying their products by portraying the positivity we feel when we possess them. Definitely an extremely influential source of meaning

Advertisers often used targeted image manipulation to link their products with an enhanced version of reality. New, more seductive images continuously replace those that are past their “valued” dates, with the primary aim on locking consumers to a never-ending cycle of spending and consumption. These images are the currency of instant communication. In advertising, they sell fantasy through a range of visual cues that are quickly and easily recognized by the consumer. The fantasies that the advertisements are putting out are what the consumers really investing in.

We like to purchase products or services that represent what we respect and admire. Products and brands have been advertised to carry a certain style or a symbolic meaning, putting across a lifestyle that consumers eat into and embraces the ideal with. Products often promote things that are valued by everyone such as happiness, romance, sex and other things that most people desire. Everyone wants to be happy and self confident in everything they do, and this can be seen in ads of every kind. We tend to approach products with images that serve to enhance and boost our self-esteem and avoid those that do not.

I am personally drawn to the Ralph Lauren advertisement above which features two attractive individuals who are young, flawless and appear to be in love, which are commonly desired in our culture. It not only advertises the various Ralph Lauren apparels products, but most importantly the image associated to the name of the company. Images in advertising are always more powerful than showing a product alone because it is in the fantasies that we see what we actually want.

Very seldom nowadays do we get to see advertisements having functional attributes or informational claims. Value-expressed attributes, image and styling have taken over much of the hype and tend to be more pervasive and subtle. Today, advertisements are not just limited to store displays, radio and TV commercials and in newspapers, they are everywhere. Now we have games, movies, endorsed celebrities, websites and the Internet. Indeed, the field of marketing is endless, and it will continue to grow enormously feeding us to our fantasies.

Social Networking Sites in society (Week 1)

Two words “social network” and I will immediately relate it to the most commonly used technology like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. These social media are similar through which it allows people to make and keep social connections at a low cost of time and effort. These social network sites are useful ways for us to keep in touch and seek social contact with our friends.

As we all know, the World Wide Web is too vast an instrument of knowledge. Social networking sites make use similarities among a selected group to help filter and isolate certain information. They also provide us with useful information and ideas.  Many youths nowadays are using Facebook to increasing the size of their social network, and therefore their access to more information and diverse perspectives, unleashing and tapping into their creativity.

As a participant on Facebook, I would definitely agree that it  has helped me to  maintain or strengthen relationships; using the site to look up old school acquaintances, find out information about people in their classes to strike up a conversation, to get contact information for friends, and many other activities.

These social networking sites enable us to engage in online self-presentation and connection with others which are increasingly part of our social and professional landscape.  Even the advertising may be a plus factor, targeted to the particular interests of the user. Hence businesses, non-profits, civic groups, and political organizations value the connections that these tools support.

With the large number of unique visitors to Facebook, it surpassed MySpace to become the US most popular social networking site, attracting more users to the site itself.

However, according to a statistic survey done by www.emarketer.com on “Top 10 US Social Networking Sites, Ranked by Total Display Ad views”, MySpace still dominates Facebook in the area of advertising. MySpace visitors viewed 31.8 million ads in April 2009, accounting for almost 47% of the total social network advertising space. Facebook was second, serving nearly 25 million ads and making up about 37% of the sector. This verifies the fact that organizations and mutli-national companies are sourcing out these social networking sites as one of the key communication tools.

In considering the effects of social network sites, I am aware that there are also many challenges. It can be dangerous with reported suicides resulting from gossip circulated on a social network.  Social humiliation and bully can surface from these networking sites, as viciously competitive teens are able to comment freely on the walls of one another. Some people also become addicted to life on the computer screen, and withdraw from personal contact. Adding on to this, the meaning of “friend” no longer depicts genuine smiles and heart-to-heart talks but on a superficial level of simply to “poke” someone on Facebook.

No doubt, social networking sites are tied in with the various contexts of communication, be it interpersonal, group, mass, international, applied, organizational, online communication and lastly, persuasion.