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Defining Mediatization

Decent Essays

Defining mediatization: The concept of mediatization is more often used than it is properly defined. Mediatization does not encompass all societies, but primarily developed, industrialised Western societies, such as Europe, Australia, USA etc. As globalization spreads, so too will mediatization, but with varying degrees depending on the society and their access to technology. It is only since the last years of the twentieth century that the process of mediatization has heightened due to the emergence of new technologies. In recent years media scholars such as Krotz (2007) and Schulz (2004) have underpinned mediatization as a social and cultural process. Mediatization encompasses the process by which society becomes subjected to or dependent on the media and their logic. Media logic affects and influences the nature and function of social relations, regarding the sender, receiver and content of the communication. The effect of mediatization may be conceived as direct or indirect (Hjarvard, 2004). …show more content…

Mediatization is a dual process of high modernity. On the one hand, media have become completely intertwined with cultural and other institutions, such as sport, politics, family and religion, with each of these institutions activities becoming increasingly performed by the media. On the other hand, media can be considered an independent institution with its own powerful logic which other institutions must accommodate to (Hjarvard

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