Podium Session II
W. James Potter Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara.
Presentation: How Should Scholars Define 'Mass' in the Changing World of 2010
Friday, April 16, 10:45 AM-12:00 PM | LVCC, N251
Presentation Topic: The challenge of clearly defining the "mass media" has largely eluded scholars ever since the term was invented. All definitional elements that have been tried - size of audience, kind of audience, type of message, and technological channel - have proven unsatisfying. Now with the segmentation of audiences into smaller niches, the hybridization of message genres, and the blurring of lines that used to distinguish channels of transmission, the challenge of defining mass media has grown significantly more difficult. Or has it? Perhaps there is a way to cut through the complexity and capture the essence of the phenomenon in a simple definition.
Introduction by: Roger Cooper, Ph.D. Director of Media Arts and Studies, Ohio University.

W. James Potter earned Ph.D.'s from both Indiana University, in qualitative methods, and Florida State University, in quantitative methods and communication theory. He has published more than 100 scholarly articles and chapters primarily in the areas of media content and effects. He is the former editor of the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. He has publish 19 books, including Media Literacy, in its 5th edition. His most recent book, Arguing for General Framework for Mass Media Scholarship, reflects his current focus on developing the conceptual tools to help mass media research construct a higher profile for their scholarly field.