Cultivation Theory - Term Paper Example

?Running head: CULTIVATION THEORY Cultivation Theory Insert Insert Grade Insert May 2, Cultivation theory Introduction Cultivation theory is a theory that is of significance in the field of public relations. It has extensive implication on the perception of concepts provided by the media houses like Television. The theory asserts that the more an individual is exposed to reports by a media house, the more the individual will accept the information as being true. The theory will then imply that the way media houses address certain issues in their news reports will influence the overall impacts of such information on the public. It is one of the social theories of mass communication that postulate a kind of relationship between the mass communication and social changes recorded in the community (Aggarwal & Gupta, 2001, p.35). The media reports that appear to have been influenced in some way will give an image that is not typical of the real scenario. For instance, a series of television shows on sexual immorality in a given city may provide a negative image of the city to the public. A series of reports on the corrupt acts by a given company definitely reduces the reputation of the organization among the public. On the other hand, providing only the positive aspects of a given issue by the media houses is also likely to provide a false positive image on the public concerning this issue. The best approach is then to provide balanced and uninfluenced reports by the media houses. Using the skills required in public relations will enable the media houses to provide balanced information that is necessary for developing a true picture. Both the negative and positive aspects of a concept should be focused as they occur in the real setting. Thesis Statement Based on the Cultivation Theory, the reports by the media houses can create images on the public that are not typical of the real situation. An influenced media report is likely to be perceived as being true depending on how long an individual is exposed to the report and the emphasis provided by the media houses. The paper illuminates on the origin of the cultivation theory, the individuals who developed the theory, how it was initially perceived in the field of mass communication, and how it was incorporated into the field. The developments that were put into the theory during this original spot are also examined as well as the current application of the theory in the field of mass communication. Origin of Cultivation Theory The Cultivation theory, also known as the cultivation hypothesis or the cultivation analysis can be traced back to the 1960s and attributed to the research by Professor George Gerbner of Annenberg School of Communication, Pennsylvania University. He focused on the effects of different television programs on the perception of a given concept in a given society (Erlandson, Williams & Telles, 2009). The research project that was referred to as “Cultural Indicators” investigated into the impacts of media operation on the social life of the public. An analysis of the contents of television programs and their effects on the public led to a generalization of the theory that how the society perceive the reality of a concept is greatly influenced by the programs and reports provided by television. The theory developed in 1967 is ‘based on the assumption that mass media have subtle effects on audiences who unknowingly absorb the dominant symbols, images, and messages of the media’ (Aggarwal & Gupta, 2001, p.35). In his investigations, Gerbner divided the audiences under the study into three distinct groups based on the duration that the individuals spent while watching television. He found out that even those who spent long periods watching TV programs were not immediately influenced by the programs. However, it was observed that this long exposure to television broadcasts had long-term effect on the individual perception of reality. The individuals tend to be inclined towards the models provided by the television broadcasts (Cultivation Theory, 2011). The theory developed on the concepts that people often found it had accepting the reality as it is. It had been noted that people would always not come into terms with the real situation but rather develop ways of avoiding it. In this context, the frequency with which an issue is addressed by the media is likely to change the individual perception of the concept (Erlandson, Williams & Telles, 2009). Television is one of the largest communication media and thus is viewed as having the ability to influence the culture and behavior of many individuals in the world. The theory affirms that the information provided by the media outlets need not to be true. However, a repeated dissemination of the distorted information is likely to alter the belief of the individual regarding the world (Aggarwal & Gupta, 2001, p.35). In this context, the media is very influential in shaping the world. The concept of Cultivation theory was incorporated into the field of communication by Gerbner and his associate researchers (Heath & Bryant, 2000, p.354). The theory that was originally concerned by effects of television programs on social life of the individuals was later challenged due to the differential aspects that were observed among the individuals. Television was, therefore, not the true representation of the world. It was then necessary to consider the other aspects that affect the viewing of television by the different members of a society before incorporating the concepts into mass communication. Development of the theory The “cultural indicators” research that led to cultivation theory resulted to further research by scholars some of whom are not in any way associated with Gerbner and his earlier associates. Various studies have been conducted some of which are extensions of the research; some are mere replications whereas others criticize the theory in the context of mass communication (Nabi & Oliver, 2009, p.70). Research into the theory has portrayed cultivation as a ‘critical theory of communication’ (Shanahan & Morgan, 1999, p.15). The Cultivation Theory has had criticisms since its development by Gerbner. Firstly, it had been pointed out that in developing the theory, Gerbner did not consider the other psychological and sociological factors that were likely to influence the perception of information by the television viewers. It was also pointed out that there were no evidences to suggest a relationship between the media effects and public opinion (Cultivation Theory, 2011). It was observed that there was no proper evidence that violent behaviors resulted from television programs. Such violent behaviors were seen to be a result of other factors more superior to television shows. Besides, the theory was criticized of being applicable only to the United States and other Anglophonic countries (Cultivation Theory, 2011). It was, thus, a concept that could not be appropriate in explaining the social effects in other parts of the world. The recent analyses into the cultivation theory were concerned with the factors that affect the cultivation. It has been observed the cultivation effect will greatly be influenced by the motivation that the television viewers have (Aggarwal & Gupta, 2001, p.36). There was an observed significant difference in the cultivation effect between the individuals who view television programs for leisure purposes and those motivated towards viewing. The individual understanding of the contents of the television programs by the public will also affect the cultivation effects. Besides, it is also believed that the television programs could easily influence the behavior or perception of the viewers who have distant relation with the topic being addressed (Aggarwal & Gupta, 2001, p.35). The individuals that were closely attached to the topics tended to enquire further into the issues being addressed before taking a stance. Current Usage The cultivation theory is often used by the researchers in establishing the cause-effect relationship observed for various social issues (Kundanis, 2003, p.74). An analysis of the types of messages provided by television programs and the behaviors of the individuals viewing such programs can provide the relationship between these concepts. The cultivation theory also has some positive effects and that allow for development of positive images to solve situations that might arise. In a geographical region that is characterized by a lot of violence and crimes and a general political unrest, the media can apply the concept by concealing the most violent scenes to the political temperature in the region. Showing to the public the exact scenario in war torn area at the times of war may catalyze further violence. In this case, a false image is provided but which has a positive impact on the general well being of the public. The theory is also applicable in addressing some issues that are seen as failures on the government agencies or organizations. By stressing on some failures and weaknesses on the agencies and avoiding the achievements, the management is called upon to quickly address the issue in fear of the negative image that is likely to be developed by the public. Similarly, the organizations or government agencies can influence the media reports to hide some of the failures and weaknesses as a way maintaining their good reputation among the individuals. This can provide them with an opportunity to make the corrective steps while shielding the society from the reality. Conclusion As can clearly be noted, the Cultivation Theory can have positive and negative impact on the users of various media houses. How the Public Relations officers address certain issues will affect the general image developed by the public concerning the issue. A television channel that puts much emphasis on crime cases in a given city might make the public believe that the city is characterized by high crime rates when in the real sense the rates might be normal as compared to other areas. Similarly, an unbalanced analysis into the corrupt acts in a given organization results into poor reputation of the organization by the public. On the other hand, the concealing of negative aspects of a given issue like crime in a city by the media houses will also lead to wrong image of the city. The public will generally consider the city the right place to stay in while it is not, simply because the news reporters only revealed the positive sides of the story probably as a way of shielding the weakness of the law enforcers. The manager of some organization may influence the media reports concerning the operations in the organization to focus only on the achievements of the organization and avoid its failures and weaknesses. In this regard, good reputation will be developed of the organization by the public when the actual operations at the organization are messed up. The use of public relations skills by the media houses will help in managing the negative impacts of this theory on the public’s perception. The reports by the media houses should not be skewed towards one side of a given issue but they should give a rather balanced uninfluenced report. Focusing on the reality in a given setting in an uninfluenced or unskewed manner will ensure that a true image is developed by the public of the given issue. References Aggarwal, V. and Gupta, V. (2001). Handbook of journalism and mass communication. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. Cultivation Theory. (2011). 12Manage. Retrieved from http://www.12manage.com/description_gerbner_cultivation_theory.html Erlandson, K., Williams, A. and Telles, J. (2009). Cultivation Theory. Retrieved from http://knol.google.com/k/kayley-erlandson/cultivation-theory/2ja35rw9bsgcf/1#. Heath, R. and Bryant (2000). Human communication theory and research: concepts, contexts, and challenges. Second edition. London: Routledge. Kundanis, R. (2003). Children, teens, families, and mass media: the millennial generation. Second edition. New York: Taylor & Francis. Morgan, M. & Shanahan, J. (1999). Television and its viewers: Cultivation theory research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nabi, R. and Oliver, M. (2009). The SAGE Handbook of Media Processes and Effects. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc. Read More