Read these below responses for the question and provide an answer- address each student as if you were talking to them directly and give them your opinion on their response to the question- three separate answers for these three students. 

Topic 1 DQ 1

What are the strengths and weakness of the scientific and the critical cultural approach to media studies? Which one is most desirable for studying the media? Explain why. What key concepts and terms help you understand the media better? 

 Zackery

As I see it, Mass media uses, almost instinctly, the scientific approach. But, ” cultural behaviour and mass media are unique in themselves because they influence each other. (2020)” The scientific approach seems to be more desirable for studying the media. The simple answer is because of the more wide usage of the approach. To be fair, before I began any research, I expected the critical cultural approach to be my preferred method. Whenever I think of anything that uses the a scientific approach, I think about creating a hypothesis, doing the research (or experiment) and drawing a conclusion based on the findings of the research or experimentation. But, for this question, this isn’t quite the case. The fact that mass media relies on scientific approach is significant. Advertising, for me, is the biggest use as they use scientific approach to survey their audiences. Using something, such as demographics, to target advertising shows scientific method use over critical cultural approach. Examples such as this are used through the use of Nielson ratings, targeted advertising, and other ventures where mass media is utilized. The scientific approach in advertising, TV, movies, and other uses of mass media help ensure the targeted audience is receiving the communication stardards it expects, or in some cases, the entertainment is desires.

 Dorothy P.

The scientific and critical cultural approach of media studies involves the way we can use the approach of the many aspects of the world around us. We sometimes might not even learn things directly from the different sources of media; however, we can learn from other people’s ideas that they get from the media. Cultural approaches are a way that others use media to mainly get them through the structure of everyday life living. “Cultural studies are less concerned with the long-term consequences of media for social order and more concerned with looking how media affect individual lives” (Naveed, 2019). There are many strengths and weaknesses, such as the Media is politically based, action-oriented. Media uses theory to research and change in the real world. The weakness is Media is too political; the call to action is too subjective, typically lacks scientific verification; based on subjective observation. Whenever it is subjected to scientific verification, often employs innovative but controversial research methods.

What helps me to understand the key concepts and terms of understanding media, is All messages are constructed and can be changed at any minute. Messages shape our Perceptions of reality (Goodman, 2014). The best method to me is we all can all hear the same method and get a different understanding of the same message that is presented. I just must keep in mind as it relates to the concept of media is to keep in mind that we all will have our point of view for any message presented.

 Dwayne R.

When it comes to media studies, there are two approaches that can be used: the scientific and the critical culture approaches. The scientific approach looks at media in a set way and this approach uses the same methods and ideologies each time; this approach also emphasizes the use of advancements in technology in order to get better results (“Social Science, Cultural Approach, and Mass Communication,” 2008). The cultural approach focuses more on keeping the ideas and norms of the culture intact and only is interested in using media if it seems like media would help to reinforce the values of the culture (“Social Science, Cultural Approach, and Mass Communication,” 2008). It seems like the scientific approach is strong in the way that you are constantly improving the way that you use media to communicate by using newer and better technology however this also leads to a weakness of the fact that there is a barrier to using technological advances; some people may not understand how to use the technology, others may not be able to afford it, and still others may balk at the changes required to use the new technology. With the cultural approach, its strength is in the fact that it is deeply rooted in the culture the media is being used in and helps to keep different cultures alive and strong. On the other hand, though, when using this approach, things that are not good or ethical but still exist in these cultures are constantly having those negative attributes reinforced and continued. Personally, I think the scientific method is the most desirable for studying the media because it is a stricter way of examining the media and compares each study against the same standards and criteria. It does not change what is being studied from culture to culture and the methods used are always the same. I think the key concepts and terms that help a person understand the media better are the terms that help define exactly what the media and its attributes are, so terms like mass media and social media are important because it helps describe exactly what media is and what is being studied.