Establishing the Terms of Debate over Media:

Mass Society and Propaganda Theories

In this chapter of Mass Communication Theory book, it goes in to great detail

about the history of the mass society theory and also the propaganda theory while explaining the
debate over media. Mass Society Theory states that media has the power to shape our views of
the social world and how it controls are actions without us even being aware that this taking
place. With all types of media platforms such as the internet, newspapers and television we are
all being conditioned to believe or think that the information being put forth is true and shape
how we view certain situations. There are also many assumptions made about the media,
individuals and the nature of social change. Those assumptions build upon how strong of a role
media plays in how as people we live our lives based on our views of what messages are
communicated to us and how much they are communicated to us. The propaganda theory is that
of the ability to of a message to persuade and convert thousands or millions of people believe in
one viewpoint which is being communicated in a no-holds-bar manner. It shares similarities with
the mass society theory. The goal is to make you think that after the messages are relayed to you,
your views and actions are still voluntary which means that you think that your opinion is soley
based on your thoughts and that you are not being persuaded by the media. There are a few
different areas of propaganda. Those areas include black, white and gray propaganda which
include the transmission of lies, suppression of contradictory information and also the
transmission of information that may or may not be false without checking for the validity.
Propaganda made its way to the United States politically and also spread many other places all
over the world.

An example of mass society theory and the propaganda theory in my opinion would be
how the issue of race and police in our country that we are currently experiencing. In recent
times every news channel you turn on there is this ongoing issue about police and race in our
communities. Some of these media platforms tell the stories how they want to tell them no matter
if all the facts are there or not. In the case of the Freddie Gray shooting in Baltimore, Maryland.
News stations were only covering the negative outcomes of the shooting which would relay a
message to the public that these negatives things were the only things taking place in that city.
Every day you go to turn on the news you would see videos of the rioting, or the looting which
was a propaganda to condition the minds of the public. You rarely ever saw footage of the
peaceful protests or the positive things that were happening in Baltimore. Mass society theory is
the perfect theory for this situation. These messages are persuading the consumer of these
messages to think negatively about the people and culture of this one are because of the bad
publicity it was getting.

Discussion Questions
1. Is it possible to consume multiple media platforms and not be persuaded by the messages
in any way?
2. Are media messages damaging our youth with the increased popularity of social media
amongst kids?
Nonverbal Communication
In this chapter, the books explains the different types of nonverbal communications and
their importance on how we communicate with one another and how those messages are
perceived. It explains kinesics, haptics, proxemics, physical appearance, vocalics, chronemics

and artifacts. Nonverbal cues are believed to be more important than verbal cues because you
cannot you can determine what you say but not how your body moves and reacts to certain
things. Certain nonverbal communications serve multiple functions. Everything you do or how
you present yourself gives off a message to the people that you communicate with during the
course of a day. Kinesics refers to the way your body moves and the gestures that you make. It
includes cues such as eye contact and body positioning. Haptics is your sense of touch which is
very important in your early life. Spacing determines how comfortable or threaten someone feels
during communication and that describes proxemics. Your physical appearance is huge in
nonverbal communication. How you present yourself will most likely determine how you are
treated amongst the public. Vocalics is your voice and the aspects of it including loudness, pitch
and accent. Chronemics and artifacts are talked about as much as the cues mentioned before but
they still play a major role in nonverbal communication. You can create an identity about you
and your personality through your nonverbal cues.
The best way I can apply nonverbal communications is going in for a job interview in my
opinion. I feel that most of these cues come into play when in an interview. Your body language
and physical appearance play a big role in it. Companies look for people that are presentable to
the public. Most like a man that is physically fit will get the job over someone that is overweight.
Also things like tattoos or how you are dressed give off certain messages. In todays world what
you look like is what one the most important factors. These things tell people how serious you
are or motivated. Every cue that you give off relays a message to someone else. For example a
man in a tailored suits gives off one message opposed to the man in a baggy suit. Every little
detail matters even if you know it or not. You are communicating your self-identity with each
cue.

Discussion Questions
1. Can you consciously control your nonverbal cues?
2. Can you change people perceptions of your individual identity if your verbal and
nonverbal cues contrast?