Gatekeeping Case Study

This article is suggesting the Olympic Games are the driving forces in the world-wide research and development of technology, especially wireless technology. The changes in technology and the desire to provide better coverage. The author theorizes that more sophisticated technology is in high demand during the Olympic Games because of the potential audience size. As far at the "gatekeeping" goes, the author’s theory is that the continual development of electronic communication now necessitates a fundamental change to the traditional gatekeeping model.  What this means is that today, at every level, when information is received by an individual, that information is frequently interpreted, distorted, and even changed, before being sent off to someone else, with the sending individual's own personal biases and beliefs, coloring that communication for the next person. The Olympic games are a huge global market in terms of audience and the ability to reach millions of people. The new model should provide space for continuous change as technology changes. Updating the model has a theoretical importance, meaning to help understand media and the connection to an audience. As well as practical purposes to help in the decision making process and for the future coverage for global media industries.

Social Network Analysis

Social network analysis examines information exchange between individuals or groups. It examines patterns between people and the resources that are exchanged through information control.  These exchanges of information are represented through Sociograms, where the actors are symbolized as nodes and the information flow is symbolized by lines connecting the nodes.

Our meme is the Overly Attached Girlfriend. This meme represents how you are connected to people or individuals you don't even know personally.  Through different facets like social media and blogs, you can exchange information with people you have never met face to face. 

Our Condescending Wonka meme represents how information flows in a group or clique. This is an example of how information can be exchanged between different actors, by playing off the idea of gossip.

Domestication Theory

Domestication Theory describes the process by which technology adapts into households and social settings.  It explores the relationships between technologies and culture.  While technology is integrated into a household and a user's day-to-day life, users also adapt and change with the technology.  The users actively help to shape the next generation of technologies produced over time.

This "Success Kid" meme is a good example of the audience's interactions with new Apple products.  Apple has a history of closely monitoring its users response to their technology and adapting its products to their preferences.  Success Kid complains about the weight of the Apple iPad, a product that is now a huge part of many American households and family units, and it does not take long for Apple to take note of its users complaints about the weight of the technology and create the iPad Air.  Success Kid (and many other users) is happy with the change and Apple maintains its business.  The iPad is being further domesticated into the American household.

Spiral Of Silence Theory

Founded by Elisabeth Noelle Neumann in 1947, the Spiral of Silence theory was formed when Elisabeth and her husband Erich were asked by the CDU to get the opinion of German citizens in a country where opinion had been violently silenced for years. The theory itself provides that peoples willingness to express their opinion is based on what they perceive the opinion of their environment to be.

The "Baby Godfather" meme is playing on the entire basis of the Spiral of Silence. Baby Godfather is seen telling us to keep our mouths shut if we do not agree with him, which is exactly what the Spiral of Silence theory predicts we will do if we do not perceive our opinion to be that of the majority.

Uses and Gratifications

Uses and Gratifications theory was one of the first theories to assume an active audience is consuming the media put before them. The theory's whole premise lies in the assumption that people know why they are consuming the media they choose. Our meme sheds light on how it is incorrect to generalize the reasons why people consume media, since each audience member makes a conscious decision about why they are consuming the media. This meme alludes to Facebook and other social networking sites, and how it is difficult to decipher the motives most people have in using these kinds of social media. According to the theory, each individual has a personal reason and makes the decision knowingly.

Cultivation Theory

Cultivation Theory was founded by George Gerbner and Larry Gross in the 1960s. Cultivation Theory focuses on the role that television plays in the formulation of beliefs about reality. Gerbner and Gross's article, "Living with Television: The Violence Profile" focuses on television as the ideal medium for cultivation by looking at prevalence, rate, and role, and the violence profile. Our meme pokes fun at the idea that television is becoming more and more violent in order to make people want to stay home and continuing to watch their shows. It is like a vicious cycle that will continue to go on throughout time.

Gatekeeping Theory

We generated this meme to demonstrate the comedic side of the gatekeeping theory. In this meme, we said that even though there is important world news happening, the news networks would rather use their top story air time for Justin Bieber’s arrest. Judging by the amount of buzz this arrest generated, the news networks realized this and assumed this is what the people wanted to see. Bieber’s arrest video was viewed over nine hundred and seventy one thousand times! This alone showed news networks that the arrest is what people wanted to see. Like the Columbia School, gatekeeping gives the audience what they want to see. This allows for the highest possible ratings for each station.