3. “…the dramatic expansion of the
stage upon which television now
performs this role- from a
national/societal onto a global
one- has endowed it with a
qualitatively new and sharper
edge.”
Live coverages, extended reach,
satellite technology.
Live coverages can have direct
consequences in the direction
that the event might take.
Anjan Behera
4. Impact of television-
Global Audience for the event.
Wars, political violence, revolutions, uprisings,
human interest stories, sports, entertainment.
Owners of television decide the
‘newsworthiness’.
Television decides what to show.
Anjan Behera
5. Impact of television-
Global publicity by live coverage influences
behaviour of protagonists involved.
May alter the direction the situation was taking.
Causes the uninvolved to get involved.
Anjan Behera
6. Impact of television-
Construction of world
public opinion
Virtually have a monopoly
over construction of world
public opinion
It is a media construct – fails
to represent true opinion.
Anjan Behera
7. Impact of television-
Acts as a ‘go-between’ especially in
instances in which hostile relationships
between governments tend to preclude
direct contacts.
American bombing of Tripoli (1986)
Anjan Behera
8. Korean Airlines 007 shoot down
(1983)
Countries involved- USSR,
USA and Korea.
Anjan Behera
9. Impact of television (cont.d)
Blurs the line between ‘social reality’ and
‘media reality’.
What events are ‘reported’, the ways they
are signified and interpreted have a bearing
on our understanding of the world.
Fox News’ coverage of a rather peaceful Iraq after
the war (Air date- 23.12.2010)
No coverage of the unrest in the NE India region.
Distant audiences
Anjan Behera
11. Encoders- those responsible for
production and shaping of media texts
Decoders- Audience/ ‘general’ public
○ Assign meanings to the encoded message.
Anjan Behera
12. (In context of providers of news)
Closed matter- Interpretation is provided
along with the ‘raw materials’
(e.g., a video clip with commentary)
Open matter- Interpretation is not
provided with the ‘raw materials’
(e.g., a video clip with no commentary)
Anjan Behera
13. Different presentations of
same news story (e.g., the
26/11 Mumbai terror attacks)
shows the power of the
encoders.
Construction of hierarchies
No autonomy given to
audience.
Fully dependent on encoders for
meaning for stories.
Force fed meaning
Anjan Behera