#communicare

AGENDA-SETTING THEORY

Agenda setting describes a very powerful influence of the media because of its ability to tell us what issues are important. With agenda setting being a theory, it also attempts to make predictions. That is, if a news item is covered frequently and prominently, the audience will regard the issue as more important. Agenda-setting theory was formally developed by Max McCombs and Donald Shaw in a study on the 1968 American Presidential Election.

As the Extrajudicial Killings (EJK) issue bombards us from newspapers, television to social media sites, a common denominator can be observed. These news programs focus most of the time on the number of people killed or what they call the “kill list.” Meaning, because of their coverage on President Duterte’s campaign on the anti-drugs, then the issue becomes prominent in our minds that these killings were commanded and spearheaded by the president himself. This type of news now becomes significant to us—listeners and viewers.

Who can forget every time Senator Manny Pacquiao has a fight? The whole Filipino nation is always tuned in in their respective screens. Every newsflash is about the highlights of each round, disregarding other important news. People ignore traffic conditions or the rise of inflation. Agenda-setting is powerful because it manipulates people’s priorities.

Contributed by: PEÑA, Aimielle Marie

USES & GRATIFICATION THEORY

Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) seeks to understand why people seek out the media that they do and what they use it for. UGT differs from other media effect theories in that it assumes that individuals have power over their media usage, rather than positioning individuals as passive consumers of media. UGT explores how individuals deliberately seek out media to fulfill certain needs or goals such as entertainment, relaxation, or socializing. Examples of which are Facebook, Twitter, CuriousCat, etc.

Contributed by: JIMENEZ, Curt

HYPODERMIC NEEDLE THEORY

A widely known nighttime show of ABS-CBN (Alto-Broadcasting System-Chronicle Broadcasting Network), the show that everyone waits for and lives for, is no other than “Ang Probinsyano.” Ang Probinsyano is a remake of the Fernando Poe Jr. film with the same title which tackles a guy who does his best just to save his country, facing different kinds of problems that we are facing today.

The drama in the story connects to the real issues here in the Philippines. Some of the Filipino audiences base their opinions on it, especially the younger generation that do not have enough knowledge or information about what is really happening here in our country. The show is playing a huge role in building the minds and opinions of their audience because they love the show, in turn, they also believe in everything that happens on the show.

The big example of which is that the portrayal of the policemen in the show. The show displays the police as corrupt officials of the Philippines, that they are the ones who committed the crimes and protecting other criminals, instead of arresting the ones who actually committed the crime. Unsurprisingly, they become one of the villains in the drama.

PNP (Philippine National Police) Chief Oscar Albayalde cries foul over the bad portrayal of cops on “Ang Probinsyano” and requests ABS-CBN, the network that produces the show, to coordinate with the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) to have “changes” in its next episodes. The police officials are worried about the impression of the viewers towards policemen, that they are going to think that ALL Philippine policemen are corrupt, like what the show is trying to show to us. This makes the viewers think that policemen should not be respected and trusted by us Filipinos.

The children are getting this idea of police being brutal figures and get scared every time a policeman helps them or tries go near to them. This show, like many others, can affect their beliefs, and there is a possibility that they believe that idea until they grow old. The show directly injects this idea that affects your opinion as a viewer, even if this true or not. If you are not aware of your country’s issues, or whatever the show you are watching is tackling, you are going to believe it. It can also affect your behavior to them by which every time you seek for help, you try to call other agency or person to help us rather than the police because you are trying to avoid them as much as possible.

The media is a huge medium that you can express everything you want to say to your audience. We need to be careful in discerning everything that we show to our viewers or watch by ourselves. Putting the disclaimer or warning before the film or drama starts is very helpful, just like MTRCB’s warnings, for the audience to know that the show is just all fiction.

Contributed by: BOBIER, Justin B.

CULTIVATION THEORY

Originally by G. Gerbner and later expanded upon by Gerbner & Gross.

Cultivation theory in its most basic form, suggests that television is responsible for shaping, or ‘cultivating’ viewers’ conceptions of social reality. The combined effect of massive television exposure by viewers over time subtly shapes the perception of social reality for individuals and, ultimately, for our culture as a whole.

Cultivation theorists posit that television viewing can have long-term effects that gradually affect the audience. Their primary focus falls on the effects of viewing in the attitudes of the viewer as opposed to created behavior.

For a little more information regarding the Cultivation Theory, watch this video!

Contributed by: YAO, Rossandrea

EXPECTANCY VIOLATIONS THEORY

According to Judee K. Burgoon (2001), the expectancy violations theory (EVT) is described as, “an interpersonal communication that makes the counterintuitive claim that violations of expectations are sometimes preferable to confirmations of expectations. [...] EVT was initially formulated to account for the communicative effects of proxemics violations during interpersonal and group interaction.” Her research further explains that this violation piques the interest of the person/people on the receiving end rather than turn them away from the medium.

The EVT is manifested when the sender of the message manages to twist the expectations of the receiver whilst in the communication process, both verbally and non-verbally. For example, a non-verbal EVT would be if you thought that that one person looked like they were mean and snooty on the first day of school because of the way that they carried and projected themselves; then, later, they smile at you in the friendliest manner. Your expectations (mean and snooty) are violated by the smile. A verbal EVT would be shown through FM radio hosts. These people have very normal, day-to-day sounding voices, especially when heard on the radio, but these voices do not translate to their looks. They are a prime example of verbal EVT because if you are lucky enough to meet a radio host, you will notice this primary characteristic. The host may have a high-pitched voice, but if you see a picture of the host, your expectations are violated.

A visual EVT would be seen in foreign television shows. Dynasty, a 2017 reboot by The CW of the 1980′s soap opera of the same name, hinges heavily on this theory. Dynasty tackles the family life of the Carringtons, a family with a multi-billion dollar energy and oil company based in Atlanta, Georgia. The audience is meant to be a spectator to the events that unfold in the series, like many other soap opera-type shows. Many of the plot points in Dynasty are twists and turns, violating its audiences’ expectations over and over again. The show is not your ordinary “rich family backstabs each other over and over again” type of drama, it completely and utterly rejects that stereotype. For a visual, refer to the video below:

The above trailer focuses on the tension between Fallon Carrington and her new stepmother, Cristal Flores-Carrington. Or is that really her name? The EVT is shown through Fallon’s relations with her chauffeur, Fallon’s father becoming recently engaged (and then married later in the video), Cristal’s nephew sleeping with Fallon’s brother, among others. The audiences’ expectations are violated when these scenes are shown to them without prior briefing.

Contributed by: JAZUL, Jenina Bea

RELATIONAL DIALECTICS THEORY

Relational dialectics focuses primarily on the close personal relations between individuals. The tensions and struggles in these relationships are highlighted. The proponents of this theory, Leslie Baxter and Dawn Braithwaite, posit that humans give meaning to their discourses. Baxter and Braithwaite define discourses as, “...systems of meaning that are uttered whenever we make unintelligible utterances aloud with others (or in our heads when we hold internal conversations). In its broadest sense, a discourse is a cultural system of meaning that circulates among a group’s members and which makes our talk sensical.” Discourse is the opposite of jargon, which is defined as work- or group-specific terms that only that certain group can understand. Discourse can be seen in phrases such as, “You are nothing but a second-rate, trying hard, copycat!”, or “It’s not you, it’s me.” 

These types of conversations are manifested in everyday life, but more spectacularly, on the Broadway stage. When a play is enacted on Broadway, the tension between the characters can truly be felt by its audience. A few examples of which would be Once On This Island, Miss Saigon, and Children of a Lesser God. The first two are musicals, while the third is a play meant to be understood by the deaf-mute community.

Our first musical, Once On This Island, is the 2017 revival by Michael Arden of the 1991 original by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. The story, set in the French Antilles, follows Ti Moune, a young peasant girl who falls in love with a rich grand homme named Daniel. A short trailer for the musical can be found below:

The theory can be applied to this musical because if the plot is to be followed, there are tensions between the peasants and the fancy grand hommes. Racism is rampant because of the history between both parties, and because of the grand hommes’ idea of the peasants being “blacker than coal and low as dirt.” Additionally, the method by which the musical is presented to the audience is intimate storytelling. The theatre allows the audience in the front row to have their feet in the sand, and the script requires a lot of storytellers. The pre-show for this musical has the cast interacting with the audience as they come in. There, we can see that the cast is trying to build an intimate, personal relationship with its viewers.

Miss Saigon opened on Broadway in 1989 with Lea Salonga playing the role of Kim. A revival sparked up in 2014 with Eva Noblezada taking on the lead role. The musical is set in the final days of the Vietnam War, where Kim falls in love with Chris, an American G.I. who is to head back to the United States in 2 days. A trailer for the musical can be seen if you click here.

The theory can be applied to the tensions between the Engineer and Kim, Thuy and Kim, Kim and her child, Tam, Kim and Ellen, and Kim with Chris. The relations between the characters are so intimate and ever-changing as the play draws on. Miscommunication ensues when Kim is left in Vietnam after Chris promises to take her back to America with him. Expectancy violations may be applied here as well if the ending is to be taken into account.

Finally, Children of a Lesser God is a 2018 revival of Mark Medoff’s 1979 original run. The play focuses on the romantic and professional relationship between former student-turned-janitress Sarah Norman and her teacher, James Leeds. Sarah is mute and works at the school. A trailer for the play can be seen here. 

This really puts relational dialectics to the test because the play is also meant to be understood by deaf-mute audiences. The audience can relate to Sarah, and therefore start up an intimate bond with the character. The method by which the characters communicate, American Sign Language (ASL) is central to negotiating and organizing relational contradictions, such as fights and misunderstandings that the characters encounter. 

Contributed by: JAZUL, Jenina Bea

GENDERLECT THEORY

Genderlect is about the argument of male and female, the conversation between men and women are not right and not wrong. Nobody is superior or inferior. There is a big difference in communication between men and women. Men think passively, while women think proactively. Women speak more words in a day than men do. This is why commercials for women are long and drawn out, whilst men’s commercials go by in the blink of an eye. For context, two commercials are attached below:

This commercial is targeted towards men but has the man speaking to the audience as women. The commercial is asking the viewer (presumed a lady with her boyfriend beside her) to buy her “man” a “real man”-scented body wash, which is Old Spice. The commercial targets a certain gender, which makes it applicable to the genderlect theory.

The iconic Chanel No. 5 commercial aired 8 years ago is targeted towards women. Chanel No. 5 is the perfume created by Coco Chanel that was worn by stars like Marilyn Monroe who had said, “What do I wear to bed? Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.” The storyline and the yearning for the man, the vacation and lonely night sequence, all are meant for a woman to feel something and buy their product.