Mass Media:
Public Communication reaching a large audience, in a short time via TV, radio, newspapers, magazines etc. The mass media are diversified media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience by mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place varies. Broadcast media such as radio, recorded music, film and television transmit their information electronically. Print media use a physical object such as a newspaper, book, pamphlet or comics, to distribute their information. Outdoor media is a form of mass media that comprises billboards, signs or placards placed inside and outside of commercial buildings, sports stadiums, shops and buses
In context of being in an art school, the disciplines and processes that are affected most by mass media are; Communication Design, Visual Communication/Graphic Design, Typography Branding, Advertising Propaganda, Printed Media Packaging and Social Commentary/ Signage.
In this lecture it is mainly looked at through the eyes of a graphic designer. Therefore lets start from the beginning by looking at the introduction of the term and different interpretations.
1922, William Addison Dwiggins (successful designer):
‘In the matter of layout forget art at the start and use horse-sense. The printing-designer’s whole duty is to make a clear presentation of the message - to get the important statements forward and the minor parts placed so that they will not be overlooked. This calls for an exercise of common sense and a faculty for analysis rather than for art’.
Richard Hollis: ‘Graphic Design is the business of making or choosing marks and arranging them on a surface to convey an idea’
Paul Rand: ‘… graphic design, in the end, deals with the spectator, and because it is the goal of the designer to be persuasive or at least informative, it follows that the designer’s problems are twofold: to anticipate the spectator’s reactions and to meet his own aesthetic needs’.
‘Whatever the information transmitted, it must, ethically and culturally, reflect its responsibility to society’.
Then we go on to look at how mass media came hand in hand with consumerism and how this might be seen as negative for society, yet lets not forget whilst reading this that there is a positive as way for graphic designer to get commercial work. Barbara Kruger was also shown shortly after this making a very bold statement on mass media, with red white and black slogans and consumerism. But I have seen it so much I just don't have the patience to go on about it. It's okay, it's not visually stunning, it says something we all know, lets move on.
Josef Muller-Brockman
‘Although graphic design as we know it originated in the late nineteenth century as a tool of advertising, any association today with marketing, advertising, or capitalism deeply undermines the graphic designer’s self-image. Graphic design history is an integral part of advertising history, yet in most accounts of graphic design’s origin, advertising is virtually denied, or hidden behind more benign words such as “publicity” and “promotion”. This omission not only limits the discourse, but also misrepresents the facts. It is time for graphic design historians, and designers generally, to remove the elitist prejudices that have perpetuated a biased history’.
Steven Heller, Eye, No. 17, 1995, reprinted in Bierut, M., Drenttel, W., Heller, S. and Holland, D.K (eds.), (1997), Looking Closer 2, New York, Allworth Press, pages 112 - 119
‘We have been bombarded with publications devoted to this belief, applauding the work of those who have flogged their skill and imagination to sell such things as: cat food, stomach powders, detergent, hair restorer, striped toothpaste, aftershave lotion, beforeshave lotion, slimming diets, fattening diets, deodorants, fizzy water, cigarettes, roll-ons, pull-ons and slip-ons …
‘There are other things more worth using our skill and experience on. There are signs for streets and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues, instructional manuals, industrial photography, educational aids, films, television features, scientific and industrial publications, and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world’
Ken Garland, First Things First Manifesto, 1964
‘Quite understandably, the people behind these campaigns have come to think of themselves as cultural philosophers, spiritual guides, artists, even political leaders. For instance, Benetton, rather than using its ads to extol the virtues of its clothing, opted instead to communicate what Oliviero Toscani believed to be fundamental truths about the injustice of capital punishment. According to the company’s communication policy, “Benetton believes that it is important for companies to take a stance in the real world instead of using their advertising budget to perpetuate the myth that they can make consumers happy through the mere purchase of their product”’.
Naomi Klein, Truth in Advertising, 2000 (in Looking Closer 4, page 64)
During in the lecture lots and lots of examples of mass media were thrown at us, the two primary example were the infamous advertising campaign for Benneton, absolutely outrageous pieces, a white woman breastfeeding a black baby. Brains where blown. I've recently been on to find there latest campaign quite interesting too. It's big political figures spreading the love having a smooch. Although I don't really know how appropriate a jew kissing Hitler is, that's a bit extreme. But that's what they do, the push people ideals to the extremes to attract attention and keep conversation on them. Also considering the above quote it does tackle the deeper issues in the world, I don't really know how successful they are at selling clothes, but they are still going. I think what matters is that as a commercial company they are trying to make a difference and that it rare these days.
Graphic Design is a relatively young discipline, Links between Graphic Design and different disciplines, e.g. Fine Art, Advertising are arguably becoming increasingly blurred. Although born out of consumerist/capitalist interests, Graphic Design is arguably becoming increasingly concerned with social issues. Watch this space.
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