Luhmann’s Media Theory: The Specifics | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Mass media constructs a constantly changing and debatable background reality, different from scientific truths. News spreads ignorance by reporting on events superficially, and its selectors determine the information produced. The mass media's influence on society generates uncertainty, moral tension, and a shift towards second-order observation.

Key Insights

• 👷 The mass media constructs a dynamic and debatable background reality that differs from scientific truths.
• 💁 News spreads ignorance by reporting events superficially and using selective information.
• 💆 The mass media's influence generates uncertainty, moral tension, and a shift towards second-order observation.
• 💆 News, advertising, and entertainment are the three most important internal structures of the mass media system.
• 😮 The mass media's selectors, such as surprise/novelty, conflict, and moral judgment, shape the information produced.
• 💆 The mass media functions as a catalyst for conflict and focuses on reporting norm violations and ascribing them to agents.
• 🤳 Advertising serves as the self-organization of folly and creates a balance between variety and redundancy in everyday culture.

Transcript

as we saw in the previous episode on Niklas Luhmann for him the mass media are a social system that provides society with a “background reality.” The media let us know what is “known to be known.” but what is known to be known changes all the time And it can be debated and disputed—it is not simply taken for granted. the dynamic and debatable backg... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Luhmann define the reality constructed by the mass media?

Luhmann argues that the mass media constructs a dynamic and debatable background reality, continuously influenced by its own operations and selectors. This reality is not subject to consensus but affects all of society in a particular way.

Q: Why does news spread ignorance, according to Luhmann?

News spreads ignorance by reporting events as they unfold, offering only a superficial understanding. Additionally, news can only report a selected number of facts, limiting the comprehensive knowledge that individuals gain solely from news sources.

Q: What are some selectors used by the mass media to produce information?

Luhmann mentions ten selectors used by the mass media, including surprise/novelty, conflict, quantity, local relevance, norm violations, moral judgment, ascription to agents, strong opinions, cases, and routines. These selectors shape the information produced and determine what becomes newsworthy or relevant.

Q: How does the mass media influence society's perception of reality?

The mass media generates uncertainty in society through its continuous flow of information and non-consensual background reality. This uncertainty creates a restless tension and moral conflicts, as the mass media constantly renews morality and shapes public opinion.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Mass media constructs a dynamic and debatable background reality that differs from scientific truths.

• News spreads ignorance by reporting events superficially and using selective information.

• The mass media's influence generates uncertainty in society and serves as a catalyst for moral tension.

• The shift towards second-order observation shapes reality construction and personal identity.