FUNCTIONS OF THE MEDIA

Educate, entertain, mouthpiece, mediators, watchdog, platform for expression, inform, gatekeepers, employment, investigate, create awareness, publicity, cultural integration, agents of socialization, criticize, maintain relationships, mobilizers, historical record keepers, agenda setters, motivators, agent of change, propagandist, agitating for change.

SOCIETAL FUNCTION	ECONOMIC FUNCTIONS	POLITICAL FUNCTION
1.   Entertain	Educate	Mouthpiece
2. Mediators	Employment	Watchdog
3. Mouthpiece	Investigate	Platform for expression
4. Watchdog	Create awareness	Gate keepers
5. Platform for expression	Investigate	Investigate
6. Inform	Publicity	Create awareness
7. Gate keepers	Criticize	Investigate
8. Employment	Mobilizers	Publicity
9. Investigate	Agenda setters	Cultural integration
10. Create awareness		Criticize
11. Investigate		Mobilizers
12. Publicity		Agenda setters
13. Cultural integration		Motivators
14. Agents of socialization		Agent of change
15. Criticize		Propagandist
16. Maintain relationships		Agitating for change
17. Mobilizers
18. Historical record keepers
19. Agenda setters
20. Motivators
21. Agent of change
22. Propagandist
23. Agitating for change

WEAKNESSES IN THE AGENDA SETTING THEORY

This theory looks at the transfer of salience from the media unto the masses. Salience refers to issues or topics which the media deems as important and so transfer these issues from their agendas to the masses.

Weaknesses in this theory includes: News media cannot create or conceal problems or issues, they may only weaken or strengthen its awareness for audiences who are attached or interested in these problems, if you are not then it has no effect on you, salience is not transferred to be because you do not regard those problems as important.

Also, for audiences who have made up their mind regarding a particular issue, the media's transfer of salience is weakened on them.

Finally, the audiences who are exposed to media salience may not be well-informed, interested in the issue the media is addressing or may not be thoughtful or skeptical enough to be influenced by salience transferred from the media.

WEAKNESSES IN THE USERS AND GRATIFICATION THEORY

The Uses and Gratification Theory is the first theory that sees the mass or audience as capable of thinking and making their own decisions. The idea is that the masses use the media to satisfy their psychological needs.
The media, however, despite the wide variety of choices the audience can choose from, are the ones who choose what to produce to the masses.
Also, the media may include its biases, perceptions and idealogies in its messaages that will be transferred to the masses who will then be influenced by it.
Finally, the theory takes into account individualistic nature, an individuals psychologically gratification that he/she gains from the media and ompletely ignores the social context of the media.

THE MULTI-STEP FLOW OR DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION THEORY

In the Diffusion Innovation theory, the media, that has a message, influences opinion leaders who in turn also turn to influence the masses.
Unlike the 2-step flow theory which involves only two steps of influence, this theory exposes multiple souces of influnece. Diffusion involves the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over a period of time among the members of a social system. An innovation can be referred to as an idea, practice, or object that is perceived to be new by an individual. This theory assumes that the audience is completely influenced by the opinion leaders whose source is the media. An example is the rise and fall of fashion trends on the market, The media chooses an accessory and advertises it to be 'in fashion', fashion designers/fashionistas are exposed to this information by the media, they then take it and they pass it unto the masses. Soon enough the accessory is being patronised by the masses and viewed by the mass as a trend

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=488580>1=28103&silentchk=1&

Hello guys. please check out this story from the Associated Press about how TV can influence the attitude's and morality of an individual in a Paris reality program.

THE HYPODERMIC NEEDLE THEORY

The hypodermic needle model is a theory that suggests that the mass media can powerfully influence people by delivering messages that can directly be accepted and recieved into their subconscious, resulting in a change in their behavior and thoughts.
Because a mass can sometimes be seen as a relationship with a multitude of ignorant people, this theory can hold true in that, the media, which is exposed to a large number of people, can influence their behavior and they will remain ignorant of this influence. Propounded by the Frankfurt School Of Thought, they argued that in the 1940's and 1950's, the mass media influenced a behavior change in people that resulted in the fast rise of radio and television sets as well as the emergence of propaganda and advertisement.