Media And Communications: Theoretical Traditions By John Sinclair (Critical Summary)

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In his article, “Media and communications: theoretical traditions”, John Sinclair discusses the origins of European and American media theories and research and how “they apply to media and communications”. Sinclair then goes on to show how these theories have been manipulated and modified to suit Australian culture. Sinclair begins with explaining how “theoretical orientations behind media studies” have become conventionally know as either European or American. In this context, ‘European’ theories are known to be holistic and interpretive, taking a ‘big picture’ kind of outlook. In contrast to that, it is said that ‘American’ theories try to determine and measure facts by observations and experiments, using an empirical method so to speak, and is micro in its social scope. In order to understand contemporary media studies in Europe, Sinclair emphasizes that we must first grasp the importance of the “Frankfurt School and its tradition”. They had critiqued the rise of mass media by stating that it was a tool for capitalism; a tool of the economic and social elite who use it to create a “false consciousness”. This “false consciousness”, I believe results in people desiring consumer items and to a certain extent make them become largely superficial and start caring about superfluous things instead of being concerned and aware of the important issues like social inequalities or the economic status in their society. However not all European theorist thought of the media in this context. The Italian theorist, Antonio Gramsci brought forth the idea of “hegemony” where the ruling class achieved power over the working class without deceiving them. Gramsic’s revelation was significant because it “encouraged the analysis of the polysemic nature of media messages” It was because of Gramsci’s concept that other interpretive traditions like semiology and structuralism

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