BSCOM/320T: Mass Communication And Media//Week 3 Discussion – Four Broad Needs

BSCOM/320T: Mass Communication And MediaWeek 3 Discussion – Four Broad Needs
Materials
Textbook
Gray P, & Rackham S, (2021). Mass communication and media (1st ed.). MyEducator, LLC.
Tools
MyEducator®
There are many theories about how different types of media and messaging affect
those viewing the message. It’s important to consider how a message we hear or see
might influence the way we think, interact, and communicate with the world around us.
Authors Elihu Katz and Jay Blumler proposed that people use media for their own benefit.
Specifically, there are four broad needs that influence the media that people choose to
consume at any given time:
1. Diversion: A form of escape or emotional release from everyday pressures.
2. Personal Relationships: Companionship through TV personalities and characters, and
sociability through discussion about TV with other people.
3. Personal Identity: The ability to compare one’s own life with the characters and
situations within a text and explore personal problems and perspectives.
4. Surveillance: A regular supply of information about “what’s going on” in the world.
Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:
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Share how you can relate to one or more of the points listed above. Which need do you
identify with the most?
Identify how your media consumption affected (both positively and negatively) your
relationships, your productivity, or your worldview?
It’s said that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Discuss ways in which one
can fulfill their media consumption needs in a positive and healthy way.