ML - Media Messages Lesson
Media Messages
Large newspapers, magazines, TV networks, and radio stations often have medical reporters on staff to cover developments in health and medicine. Their job is to report complicated scientific information in a way that's easy for regular people to understand. Many health stories are accurate and balanced. But not all are. Sometimes, reporters try to quickly cram information into a short news story, and they may oversimplify the information. What you see may not be the whole picture.
To catch a viewer's attention, news reports sometimes make dramatic claims. In addition, medical news reports often focus on people's personal stories, not scientific studies. Personal stories are interesting, but often they don't prove anything about health or treatments in general. It takes a well-done study to do that. And sometimes these studies just aren't dramatic or exciting enough to make the news.
When reading or hearing health news, the first thing to consider is if it is based on a scientific study. In addition, you should consider the following questions:
-
- Who was the study done on? Was it done on people or laboratory animals? If it was done on people, who was it? (Males, females, teenagers, etc.)
- How was the study designed? (Retrospective, prospective, clinical trial, case-control, etc.)
- Is there a sponsor or funding organization supporting the study or report? Does this report seem objective or biased?
The study and practice of media literacy is based on a number of fundamental concepts about media messages, our media system, and the role of media literacy in bringing about change. Some of these concepts include:
Persuasion Techniques
The goal of most media messages is to persuade the audience to believe or do something. News stories use several techniques such as direct quotation of identified sources to make us believe that the story is accurate. Learning the language of persuasion is an important media literacy skill. Once you know how media messages try to persuade you to believe or do something, you'll be better able to make your own decisions.
- Association
- This persuasion technique tries to link a product, service, or idea with something already liked or desired by the target audience, such as fun, pleasure, beauty, security, intimacy, success, wealth, etc. The media message doesn't make explicit claims that you'll get these things; the association is implied. Association can be a very powerful technique. A good ad can create a strong emotional response and then associate that feeling with a brand (family = Coke, victory = Nike). This process is known as emotional transfer. Several of the persuasion techniques below, like Beautiful People, Warm & Fuzzy, Symbols and Nostalgia, are specific types of association.
- Beautiful People - Beautiful people uses good-looking models (who may also be celebrities) to attract our attention. This technique is extremely common in ads, which may also imply (but never promise!) that we'll look like the models if we use the product.
- Warm & Fuzzy - This technique uses sentimental images (especially of families, kids and animals) to stimulate feelings of pleasure, comfort, and delight. It may also include the use of soothing music, pleasant voices, and evocative words like ''cozy'' or ''cuddly.'' The Warm & fuzzy technique is another form of Association. It works well with some audiences, but not with others, who may find it too corny.
- Symbols - Symbols are words or images that bring to mind some larger concept, usually one with strong emotional content, such as home, family, nation, religion, gender, or lifestyle. Persuaders use the power and intensity of symbols to make their case. But symbols can have different meanings for different people. Hummer SUVs are status symbols for some people, while to others they are symbols of environmental irresponsibility.
- Nostalgia - This is the opposite of the New technique. Many advertisers invoke a time when life was simpler and quality was supposedly better (''like Mom used to make''). Politicians promise to bring back the ''good old days'' and restore ''tradition.'' But whose traditions are being restored? Who did they benefit, and who did they harm? This technique works because people tend to forget the bad parts of the past, and remember the good.
- This persuasion technique tries to link a product, service, or idea with something already liked or desired by the target audience, such as fun, pleasure, beauty, security, intimacy, success, wealth, etc. The media message doesn't make explicit claims that you'll get these things; the association is implied. Association can be a very powerful technique. A good ad can create a strong emotional response and then associate that feeling with a brand (family = Coke, victory = Nike). This process is known as emotional transfer. Several of the persuasion techniques below, like Beautiful People, Warm & Fuzzy, Symbols and Nostalgia, are specific types of association.
- Extrapolation
- Persuaders sometimes draw huge conclusions on the basis of a few small facts. Extrapolation works by ignoring complexity. It's most persuasive when it predicts something we hope can or will be true.
- Scientific Evidence
- This is a particular application of the Expert technique. It uses the paraphernalia of science (charts, graphs, statistics, lab coats, etc.) to "prove" something. It often works because many people trust science and scientists. It's important to look closely at the "evidence," however, because it can be misleading.
- Cause vs. Correlation
- While understanding true causes and true effects is important, persuaders can fool us by intentionally confusing correlation with cause. For example: Babies drink milk. Babies cry. Therefore, drinking milk makes babies cry.
Material adapted from http://medialiteracyproject.org
[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION