I’m in the sports broadcasting and operations industry. I have seen various types of sports journalism throughout the years and follow certain sports journalists online. There have been shifts in sports journalism over the years, and I believe it is to keep up with the modern age of technology and the plethora of topics to cover. One of many reasons why avid sports fans may avoid sports journalism is inconsistency in reporting. A recent article states that “Reporters are doing more work than before, and they are being required to work faster.” …

This past week on St. Patrick’s Day, I spent some time in watching the news as I usually do but also included watching BBC World News into the mix. News is defined as the “spinal cord of journalism.” I wanted to compare and contrast both newscasts and analyze how they inform and present themselves to their audiences. Here is my analysis:

UNDERSTANDING TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINISM

Technological determinism is the theory that technology is the primary force of our culture, that it shapes human life and induces cultural and social change. During the 1960s, communication theorist Herbert Marshall McLuhan became widely renowned for his studies of the influence of mass media on thought and behavior. He coined the statement “The medium is the message,” which means that the form a message is conveyed (print, visual, musical, etc.) defines how it is received. …

The agenda-setting theory is based on the idea that mass media sets the agenda for what people should care about in their lives. This theory applies to how the media selects topics for coverage that are of general interest.

In Houston, KPRC 2 Houston tends to give a vast amount of attention to issues that affect the community. Priming is a strategy that this new station frequently utilizes in the agenda-setting process. This approach has an influence on the public’s attention to the topic and how relevant it looks to the viewer. …

News spread towards me in a variety of ways. I work in television broadcasting, so I see firsthand breaking news and news alerts regularly through mainstream media. In big family gatherings, we tend to have face-to-face conversations and watch mainstream media together on local news, sports, and trending topics. I’m kind of old fashion when it comes to gathering information through a TV device. NBC’s Nightly News and the evening local news are my go-to resources for reliable and trusted information.

In mass communication, the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) plays a significant role in persuasion towards the audience. Let’s get a quick overview of ELM before discussing how it would affect me as a media practitioner.

The elaboration likelihood model illustrates how the message of persuasion works to change the reader or viewer’s behavior. The ELM theory claims that a level of “elaboration” occurs when a persuader introduces information to an audience. …

Perspectives on news gathering and how it relates to the two-step flow theory

Is there someone you follow to get the news you trust? Do you have share strong opinions on certain topics that gather an audience? You portray examples of the two-step flow theory of mass communication if you responded yes to either question. In the two-step flow theory, it is believed that the mass media is not only the only one that distributes information to the masses. What occurs is that you have the mass media and also opinion leaders. These people closely watch the news or politics, decide what is important to them, and then discuss it and spread it…

Due to fast-changing technology, theories of mass communication have shifted dramatically since the early 1900s. I would like to discuss the bullet/hypodermic theory and how I’m vulnerable to media’s influence. Let’s first begin with defining the theory as it relates to mass communication. The bullet/hypodermic “magic bullet” theory describes how the media controls what the public sees and listens to and the impacts that may be immediate or later in the future. …