Technological Changes in the Radio Industry

Radio today has changed in many different ways from the time since it first started.  In many ways, it all has to do with the technological changes and innovations it has gone through throughout the years.  For instance, these changes have allowed the radio industry to transform itself from a wireless telegraph transmitter into a worldwide entertainment business with a broader audience.

            Dating back to 1896, radio first started out as a “wireless telegraph” that transmitted Morse code signals.  Guglielmo Marconi created it with the sole purpose to transmit telegraphed signals to places in which telegraph wires were not able to function.   This type of media technology was then strongly adopted by the military, thus, making radio only government operated.  However, after realizing the strong potential that the radio had for transmitting information through long distance, it soon became the interest of David Sarnoff to bring radio into American households as a form of entertainment.  This new form of radio technology know as a “Radio Music Box” brought forth music, news, sports, and soap operas to American households. 

Overall, technological changes strongly affected the evolution of the U.S radio system in the 1920s.  Such technological inventions that helped influence change were the creation of the “vacuum tubes” in 1906 by Lee de Forest.  This creation brought and allowed the transmission of radio sounds, music and voice, in which later on facilitated the development of the radio in the 1920s.  As a result, many radio stars were born and many active listeners began to be readily informed about important news and music across America. 

Media Impact: Social Learning Theory

   How exactly does the media impact our decisions? Many can agree that media is exposed through many different methods including, television, the Internet, video games, and advertising. However, media exposure can definitely have strong effects on those who consume it. One of the underlying theories discussed in Chapter 13 about the effects that media has on individual is that the user tends to imitate the attitudes, images, or behaviors displayed in the media. This theory is known as the “Social Learning Theory”.

   In many ways, I believe that the social learning theory justifies how media persuades their captive audiences to believe that what they see is the right way to act. Therefore, the more we can relate to what they show in the media the more likely we will apply those behaviors in our everyday life. As a result, when children see violence in television shows or in video games, it is more likely that they will apply that violence and accept it as a norm as they grow up. The same applies, when advertisements on television demonstrate women to be the most beautiful, when they are thin and allow themselves to be objectified.

   One great example that explains this theory is the movie Killing Us Softly. In this movie it shows that while advertisers use ads to selling their products to consumers they also sell the image that is displayed within their ad. For example, while they are trying to sell their make up products to women, many advertisers like Maybelline are focus in depicting women’s beauty based on body image. This then sends a message to many women who are viewing ad that having that ultra-skinny image is what’s considered beautiful. In many ways, the manner in which advertisers illustrate women’s image affects the way women in society view their own body image. In other words, it makes women in society to take extreme measures to obtain that perfectly body image that only exists in advertisements.

Hegemony in Media

Today, media seems to be one of the primary resources people use to get informed of the latest news, products, and ideas that are constantly taking place and affecting our society.   However, much of the media, such as advertising, applies the concept of hegemony to reinforce the idea about gender roles and other societal issues.  In a way, it helps us understand how men and women are portrayed in this world.

I personally think that when hegemony is applied to the world of advertising and media it is used in a way to subconsciously manipulate the audience perspectives on certain issues within our society.   It tends to focus much on the ideas, principles, and beliefs of the dominant class.  Much of the reason why I believe that we accept the ideology of the dominant class is because, for a along time we have lived through and somehow accepted the stereotypes.  Therefore, when it comes to the images depicted in advertising and media, we see it as natural.

One great example of the concept of hegemony in media advertising is the Snickers commercial featuring Mr. T, which was launched in 2008.  This commercial starts off with a white man speed walking with a feminine movement.  Storming out of a house in a truck, Mr. T began shooting with a machine gun at the man with Snickers candy bars and states, “you are a disgrace to the man race, is time to run like a real man.”  At that moment the man begins to run faster.  The Snicker advertisement illustrates how men should act tough and be more physical, otherwise it is consider to be unmanly.  Like in the movie documentary “Tough Guise” Jackson Katz talks about how men are portrayed as being “sissy” or “fags” if they don’t act like a “real man.”  In this commercial Mr. T demonstrates how the dominant culture doesn’t appreciate men who don’t put up with that “macho act” like he does. In other words, the ideology of the dominant culture believes that a man should be strong, in control, and athletic to be accepted by society.  Therefore, advertising media like Snickers, use the concept of hegemony to reinforce the dominant culture ideas about a men’s image in a subconscious manner that men consent to and learn to accept.