Theoretical and methodological features of mass media research: heuristics of structural, behavioral and cultural approaches

Abstract

The article details D. McQuail's typology, which offers three scientific approaches to the study of mass communication and mass media, namely structural, behavioral and cultural approaches. It is emphasized that the structural approach is used mainly to analyze the impact of mass media on the system-forming components of society, as well as on a global scale. The behavioral approach involves taking into account the methodological principle (stimulus-response) and its not always linear nature in the processes of dissemination and perception of mass information. Within its framework, attention is primarily paid to the socio-psychological and emotional states of a certain individual or social groups. It is noted that representatives of the cultural approach focus primarily on the socio-cultural context of the impact of mass media on the audience, as well as algorithms for reproducing a certain social order and cultural values. The characteristic features of the history of the development of mass media, in particular radio and television, are emphasized. In view of this, in accordance with the theory of the "magic bullet or needle for injections", a detailed description of relevant examples of media influence on the mass audience is proposed. Changes in the understanding of mass media during the 20th century are highlighted, taking into account the research of G. Lasswell, P. Lazarsfeld, M. McLuhan, D. McQuail and D. Carey. Such changes are characterized initially (20-30s of the 20th century) by the use of behavioral and functional approaches and later by the recognition of an increasingly nuanced, culturally oriented, not always linear perception of information content by recipients. A number of modern theories on the study of mass communication are highlighted: cultivation, stereotyping, cognitive dissonance, strengthening the status quo, catharsis, social responsibility, etc. The existing transformation of information content consumption against the background of the mediatization of society in the digital age is highlighted as a universal trend: from the popularity of modern media to the constantly growing level of use of new / newest / digital media.