Implications of the New Logics of the Digital Media Environment for Careys Ritual View of Communication - Essay Example

Implications of the New ‘Logics’ of the Digital Media Environment for Carey’s Ritual View of Communication Implications of the New ‘Logics’ of the Digital Media Environment for Carey’s Ritual View of Communication Advancement in technological vices and general modernisation of the world has resulted in changes in communication patterns in various parts of the global society. A ‘new media in communication’ has been embraced by societies living in the current world, providing ground to the communication and media theory in practice (Cinque, 2011). The new media is used to giving an understanding and interpretation of the ‘old things’. This is presented through ideologies encouraged in TV, films, Internet, communication in an organisation and values promoted in the evolved digital media. Mass media is a significant aspect in modern culture of a community (Harcout, 2013). A society exists in transmission and communication as processes. A society’s way of life is made possible through distributed information transactions and communication channels (Carey, 1989). Communication in a society’s interpretation can therefore be split into a transmission view of communication and a ritual view of communication. James Carey put the ritual view of communication as a communication theory forward. He explains the term ‘communication’ as a construction of reality in symbols that uphold, represents and is shared in a society’s beliefs. Communication influences the social transformation of the society over time. He states that the ritual view is particularly in the form of participation, sharing, fellowship, association and possession of similar faith. This was an exploit of ancient terms such as communion, community, commonness and communication. This view of communication is channelled towards maintenance of the society in time. Community ideals such as stories, plays, speech strings and architecture create information symbolism of social processes (Carey, 1989). The view is however not dominant in quite a number of societies in the world today. This is because the concept of culture is weak in such societies. If the ritual view was embraced in the analysis of news articles in magazines and newspapers, the focus would be on a wide range of problems in examining the articles. News writing and reading is a ritual act where information availed to the reader is not pure information but rather portraying competing forces in different parts of the world. This model is not viewed as a source of information acquisition but rather as a platform for the reader to join in the competing forces as an observer. The functions or effects of the message are not addressed in the news in respective newspapers, journals and magazines. The message rather tackles involvement and representation of the reader structuring their lifestyle. Newspapers and related articles are not sources to functions and effects of information put across, but a source of dramatic satisfaction (Carey, 1989). They rather should be a presentation of reality that presents life with a sense of order in organisation. News, a historic reality, is a form of invented culture by a particular class of people. It forms and reflects desires to eliminate heroic, epic and traditions replacing them with unique and original information. These will however, dissolve once the digital media present in the current world erodes its significance. When this news is no longer information but a series of dramatic events, it does not provide reality description of the world but rather crates a platform for dramatic actions and forces (Carey, 1989). It attracts participation derived from assumptions of social roles held within social institutions. Information derived from media sources in the current society creates a new dimension for symbolic reality to the people, hence defining a different existence capacity. This is reflected in humans’ handling of problematic solutions present in their lives. A good example is a case where a young child has to learn commuting from home to school. The kid could be driven for the distance in the current world. This kid will have no understanding of the relationship between school and home. However, if they were provided with a map to follow, they would conceptualize the environment. The map represents a way, retained in the child’s memory, of solving the problem. Every human society has indigenous channels and modes of communication characterising its existence and development (Orewere, 1991). The modes and channels are a reflection of the social structure of a community. A society is bound by shared information that circulates within it. Information from digital media sources often causes tension amongst views supported by individuals, hence different conceptions of the information. This complicates social bonds resulting to social problems and disrupted social order (Carey, 1989). People convey and express knowledge and attitudes created from their understanding of reality from communication technology present in the world today. Communication models serve the purpose of defining an individual’s creation of symbolic reality. They are social institutions that have powerful social effects on the society. The models presented by advanced digital media are corrupted and result to the reshaping of societies’ cultures. The media in today’s world affects preciseness, accuracy and efficiency of the communication process (Weaver and Shannon, 1949). Information passed through has an impact on identity and interpretation by a person. It also provides a member of a society with choices to make from the symbolic message put across. The interpretation by the people varies hence a difference in views supported by them. There is freedom of choice in interpreting the information creating uncertainty of the information being the right one (Weaver and Shannon, 1949). Such information may be undesirable to the receivers. Overcrowding the capacity of masses creates misleading effects and confusions hence disintegrating social bonds within a society. Mass communication often fails to grasp important features of the subject (Gitlin, 1978). The media has in turn defined them less in social existence. It has also shunned its effects that are measurable in the sense of mass behaviour deflecting from social identities of mass media production. The vast access of media broadcasts to the public affects the behaviour and attitudes of the people (Gitlin, 1978). This alters the structure of a society, social interest and social meaning held by members of a society. It also affects the language used, symbols and concepts viewed vitally in communication, in turn affecting interpersonal relationships among people. Personal aspects that change because of media influence include social status among other variables that are fundamental for the social organisation of a community. Mass communication instils attitudes and ideas that shape the behaviour of the masses. Modern media platforms provide information that manipulates members of the public who lack independent sources to draw information. It is therefore, employed in the spread of propaganda agendas to the public. The peoples’ beliefs and motivations are influenced by their interpretation of opinions and ideas of other people in the media (Neuman & Guggenheim, 2011). This accumulates to form the basis of decisive behaviours of the public. The cultural context, social organisation and beliefs structure is influenced, and as a result modified by effects of media on a society. Communication via the digital media influences the cultural identities, representations and experiences. Social relationships and practices are shaped by digital technologies used in communication among the people in a society (Gabriella, 2010). Integration of the people into digital media reflects ritual practices and social protocols in the society. The dimension for the mentioned aspects has changed completely in modern societies because of media influence. The media has the power to shape beliefs, opinions, habits of life and personal behaviours (McQuail, 1979). It also restructures social relationships, cultural and social systems. There has been a shift of social relationships in modernised societies that are acquainted with the “new media” (Gurevitch et al., 1982). This results to a conflict in the interpretation of information and hence a conflict in views, ideas, practices, social norms and beliefs supported by the people in a society. People are expected to interpret information based on their social knowledge and experience. However, forces of modern media model their interpretation. The ideologies supported by media are a representation of views of a minority class of people in the society. This class controls the majority views of the people in the same society. A minority class that rules over the society shapes the beliefs and rituals of such a society. References Carey, J. (1989). Essays on Media and Society. Boston: Unwin Hyman publishers. Chalkley, T, Brown A, Cinque T, Warren, B, Hobbs M and Finn M. (2011). Communication, New Media and everyday life. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press Coleman, G. (2010). Ethnographic Approaches to Digital Media. Annual Review of Anthropology, 39, 1-16 Gitlin, T. (1978). Media Sociology: The Dominant Paradigm. Theory and Society, 6(2), 205-253 Gurevitch, M, Bennett T, Curran J and Woollacott J. (1982). Culture, Society and the Media. New York: Methuen & Co. Harcout, H. (2013). The Role and Influence of Mass Media. Retrieved from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/contemporary-mass-media/the-role-and-influence-of-mass-media. McQuail, D. (1979). The Influence and Effects of Mass Media. Mass communication and society, 70-93. Neuman, W, Guggenheim L. (2011). The Evolution of Media Effects Theory: A Six Stage Model of Cumulative Research. Communication Theory, 21, 169-196. Orewere, B. (1991). Possible Implications of Modern Mass Media for Traditional Communication in a Nigerian Rural Setting. Africa media review, 5(3), 54-65. Schudson, M. (2008). The “Lippmann-Dewey Debate” and the Invention of Walter Lippmann as an Anti-Democrat 1986-1996. International journal of communication, 2(1), 1031-1042. Weaver, W. Shannon C. (1949). The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Urbana: University of Illinois press. Read More