CLASS DISCUSSIONWhat is transaction?If you are watching TV, another person steps in and changes the channel, is that a transaction?
Yes, because the person gave feedback to media by choosing channels.
Two-way communication vs one-way communication (Bauer)When plan a campaign, we should not think about what message to send out but what audience needs, because the thing we think is good for audience may not be essentially beneficial.
Comm as ritual (Carey):Carey is a critical culturalist. He urges there is another thing about communication more than just information transmission. Communication is a cultural thing that is similar to religion. We watch TV to keep up with the community culture, to be socially recognized and to avoid being marginalized.
Soap opera fans created a view of the world that enables them to communicate. There is a view of the world that is accepted by the community.
Carey's view is very broad, he considers society as a unit, and Dervin focused on individuals.
Ritual view of comm on health campaign:1. Associate an eating habit with a stereotype of social identity.
2. Use some unspoken social rules to get a message across.
3. Use a symbol system to express a message.
ONLINE DISCUSSION in BB:You are watching the news on television. You are at home and alone. How would you look at the situation differently under the following models of communication.
1. Communication as transmission: producers to me, possibly interpreted differently from how they intended; they're trying to influence me to do or think something. (this view of communication is one-way and the direction is from the producer to us, I will be compelled to interpret any information, no matter how neutral the producer or presenter want them to sound or look, as the product of subjective viewpoint of the producer with an aim to manipulate me. )
2. Communication as transaction: social interaction involving rules and feedback, e.g. you create I want to watch, else I won't watch! :) We create our own world in a sense, despite the physical environment. Not only do the producers need to create what the audience want to see, but the audience are also affected by what the producers choose to show (take agenda setting as an example for this influence).
3. Communication as ritual: build a sense of community with others who watch the news, even if they're not presently there. Can interact via web or physical meetings later. A method of "keeping up" so that we have discussion topics to talk about. Watching TV (alone or with someone else) is like attending a mass in church on Sunday. I'm aware that whatever I'm watching involves me, no matter how remote the information seems to my life: I may be partly responsible for what's going on, and my after action may also help change the situation. And yes, I agree with you that we are aware of the other people who may be watching the same piece of news together with us, and we share our viewpoints with some of them, and not with some other, like a religious community.
4. Communication as sense making: learning about the world from the news - sad though, considering what is often actually on the news.
Something you might want to think about: When you are watching TV alone, are you really alone? Think of this psychologically as well as socially.
