| It's such a controversial topic today, in order to get | | | | negotiation with other members of the audience. |
| my own conclusion, I will exam the arguments and | | | | They believed instead of passively absorbing media |
| studies of two papers: one is "The Function of | | | | output, a discussion is held between family members, |
| Television: Life Without the Big Box" by Charles | | | | friends and even strangers about the programmes |
| Winick who supports the functions of television; the | | | | seen on T.V. In this model, opinion leaders emerge to |
| other is "Some Hazards of Growing Up in a Television | | | | help interpret the message we are being sent. They |
| Environment" by Jerome L. Singer and Dorothy G. | | | | believed the stimulus relationship between media and |
| Singer who does not agree that TV should be | | | | audiences was replaced by the complexity of human |
| viewed as much as today and it has already became | | | | meaning and personal relationships. Finally the third |
| a society problem. I agree with the view of Singers, | | | | alternative model, which rejected both the |
| in addition, I think this is the problem that should be | | | | hyperdermic syringe model and the two-step, flow |
| solved urgently. | | | | model, was the 'long-term' effect model. This model |
| Charles Winick considers that most important for | | | | suggests that media may influence us in many ways |
| children is that they can learn from TV. "The children | | | | that are hard to measure and have long term effects |
| of today do not need to learn to read as early or to | | | | on our attitudes, creating new ideas or reinforcing our |
| develop an imagination. All their fairy tales, bedtime | | | | original ones rather than changing opinions we already |
| stories and cartoons are shown in living color on TV". | | | | have. |
| He shows a great children program "Sesame Street" | | | | Cumberbatch carried out a study where he analysed |
| as an example. " It has led to the production of a | | | | all programmes broadcasted on all four channels, in |
| television program in which the contents are closely | | | | four separate weeks between May and September |
| based upon knowledge of what young children need | | | | 1986. The primary unit for counting was the violent |
| to know and about their manner of learning...it's a | | | | act; he quoted "a coherent uninterrupted sequence |
| highly effective educational program which has | | | | of actions involving the same agents in the same |
| successfully taught basic skills to children from a | | | | role". Cumberbatch found that 30% of programmes |
| range of very different home backgrounds." In | | | | contained some violence. The overall frequency was |
| Singers' paper, they argue that although the average | | | | 1.14 violent acts per programme, 1.68 acts per hour, |
| child spends a great deal of time watching television, | | | | where each act lasted approximately 25 seconds and |
| they learn very little from the medium. | | | | so therefore occupying just over 1% of T.V time. |
| A common model is the 'hyperdermic syringe model'. | | | | However he claimed that if boxing and wrestling |
| According to this model, the media had the power to | | | | were excluded, the average duration would be 13 |
| change attitudes and behaviour for the 'pro-social' as | | | | seconds and if verbal threats were to be included |
| well as the 'anti-social' influence. Empirical research has | | | | than the average frequency would rise to 1.96 acts |
| soon revealed the shortcomings of the hyperdermic | | | | per hour. He found that most violence was shown in |
| syringe model and it was recognized that the | | | | spy, fantasy, war detective, crime and thriller |
| effectiveness of the media in getting its message | | | | programmes, and less violence on quiz shows and |
| across depended on the personal influence affecting | | | | chat shows plus non-contact sports. However he |
| the perceptions of audience members. An alternative | | | | claimed that injuries from violent acts were rare. 26% |
| of this was the development of the 'two-step flow' | | | | of occasions, violence resulted in death but 61% no |
| which was produced by Katz and Lazarfelo. They | | | | injuries were shown as the victims simply showed |
| believe the way the media is interpreted by | | | | pain or were shocked. |
| audiences is usually involved by a process of | | | | |