Page 18 - Communication Theory and Research

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Introduction and Overview 7

social contexts, plus the general type known as the ‘soap opera’. In the earlier
period of enquiry, starting in the 1970s, the great appeal of the glossy American
serial typified by Dallas, proved an object of great interest. The question most
asked was why this unrealistic and foreign product could have such a powerful
pull on audiences, especially those composed of women. Was it some underlying
intrinsic and universal factor of the stories told or simply the high production
values and comparability to glossy Hollywood films? More prosaically was it due
in part to the relatively low cost of such material to many European broadcasters?
While statistically, foreign (especially American) fiction has continued to retain its
seemingly dominant position, much has changed in twenty-five years and the
same questions are no longer being asked. The great expansion of European tele-
vision in terms of channels and hours of broadcasting has sustained the demand
for the American product but, leaving films aside, there has been a shift in popu-
larity to domestically produced content, where it is available. There is much more
home-made basic ‘soap opera’ in Europe, and this has been shown to reflect both
different values and audience interests than the original US model and also to
reflect something of the differences between European national cultures.

Journalistic roles and ethics

There is a normative tradition in European communication theory that involves
stronger claims on behalf of ‘society’ than is typical of the United States. Theory is
directed against the failings of journalism in terms of accuracy and fairness in
reporting as well as against the familiar evils of sensationalism, offences against
privacy and personal dignity. Latterly critical attention has crystalized around
the allegation of ‘tabloidization’, meaning a shift to style and content that courts
popularity as an end in itself. Depending on the country concerned, and leaving
public broadcasting aside, we are likely to find expectations of service to society and
to the political and justice system. Sometimes these expectations are reciprocated
by professionals within the journalistic profession. In some countries, elements of
the press allow themselves to be accountable on essential matters and in some
cases law and regulation set demands. However, it cannot be said in general that
private media, whether press or television, are especially inclined to put ethics and
public duty before commercial considerations. There is little inclination to do so
and the development of more open markets in Europe and of policies at European
level to develop a single market have made it difficult if not impossible for any
large-scale media enterprise to ignore the imperatives of the global market. Even
so, there are some bridges between external criticism and internal professionalism.

Audience and reception research

The adoption of critical theory, the re-evaluation of popular culture and the
critique of empiricism in audience studies between them exerted a strong influence