Chapter 5: The Mass Media and the Public sphere

An interesting term in this chapter is the term mass media. The term was very popular in Germany when speaking to the masses in the time of Hitler. The term is used today when we speak of the Internet og television. But what I tend to wonder is if mass media exists at all?
Mass media means that you have a message you wish to communicate to many people at once and therefore use a media that fits this strategy. This term has also been highly critized, in the way that people have been questioning the effect of the media, if it reaches its audience at all, if communication to the masses is effectful. This is why I believe that there is no such thing a mass media today. Every communication form that is used today is fitted to its audience and the message is created on their premisses. We could take the television as a perfectly good example. There are tons of commercials during a day on tv, even just an hour, and how do you make sure that the messages come through to your audience when the audience have he choise of when to watch tv and what to watch. The commercials are of course on the air, when its taget audience "should" be watching tv. Advertisements for toys are on in the morning or the afternoon and on the channels that shows cartoons - that way the message gets through to the kids. The same with the other commercials. They air them according to the tv shows /programs airing.

With that in mind, I don't believe you can talk about mass media per say - the same thing with the Internet. Certain adds show up on sites that would be itneresting for the people looking at the cites. You can to some extend reach you audience with todays technology even though it seems like mass media.

Chapter 4: Reproduction and Visual Technologies

A part of this chapter that is very interesting, is the reproduction of images. It is very interesting how technology has changed the entire world of art, so to speak. How the artists, such as painters, where no longer the ones who where able to depict reality, but instead that was technology and a new type of artists arose. The scientists who made this technology happen and the ones who where able to take pictures and create them with technology where the news artists. What is an interesting aspect of this, is also the issue of what was intented from the original artist? How much of the reproductions we see everyday, has not been retouched and "fitted" for the present audience? You never really know, unless you have access to the real i.e. Mona Lisa - which many does not have.

A different perspecitve on things are closely connected to what we discussed in the first class about meaning. We will never be able to fully understand or learn what the artist meant with a 300 year old painting, we can only try to analyze using the knowledge we have. When considering the culture of the time the painting was produced, the time, the norms and values and of course the artists personal hirstory you can get an idea of the intented meaning with the painting. Although if the painting is popular in the society today, if might connotate a different meaning. Not everyone has the knowledge and education to consider the context in which it was produced, and not everyone wants to. I find it interesting to consider what these paintings and works of art mean to people today. What it connotates to i.e. the youth, compared to the youth 300 years ago.

Just some thoughts...!

Lise Stokholm

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