Stephen D. Reese, Pamela J. Shoemaker
Abstract
We have promoted a hierarchy of influences model for understanding the complex factors shaping media—particularly news—content: from the individual to social-system level. Meanwhile, technology-enabled changes in the media eco-system have shifted old boundaries and encouraged new, more spatially oriented concepts, such as fields and networks. In this essay we revisit our levels-of-analysis perspective, which in the historical context of communication research was a response to97 the media effects paradigm, and incorporate within the model examples from recent research. We argue that the hierarchical of influences can still take into account new realignments of media and other forces. Emerging spaces in the network public sphere may not fit as easily into the once familiar professional, organizational, and institutional containers, but the new media configurations supporting these spaces must still be understood with reference to a larger framework of power.
Stephen D. Reese and Pamela J. Shoemaker revisit their hierarchy of influences model (Shoemaker & Reese, 1996) and incorporate recent research to demonstrate its continued relevance in understanding the complex factors that shape media content in the networked public sphere. They argue that the model’s emphasis on multiple levels of analysis, from individual professionals to social systems, provides a valuable framework for examining how media content is produced, disseminated, and consumed in a rapidly changing media landscape.
The authors begin by outlining the key tenets of the hierarchy of influences model, which posits that media content is shaped by a series of influences operating at five levels:
Individual-level factors: The characteristics, routines, and motivations of media professionals, such as their education, experience, and personal values, play a role in shaping media content.
Organizational-level factors: The structure, culture, and policies of media organizations influence the decisions made by media professionals.
Extra-media factors: The social, political, and economic environment in which media organizations operate can also influence media content.
Institutional-level factors: The norms, values, and power structures of institutions, such as government, business, and religion, can shape media content.
Social-system-level factors: The broader social, cultural, and political context in which media systems operate can also influence media content.
The authors then review recent research that has applied the hierarchy of influences model to a variety of media contexts, including news, advertising, and new media. They argue that the model has been successfully used to explain a wide range of phenomena, such as the impact of political pressure on news coverage, the role of social media in disseminating information, and the impact of globalization on media content.
The authors conclude by arguing that the hierarchy of influences model remains a valuable tool for understanding how media content is shaped in the networked public sphere. They call for continued research that uses the model to examine the complex interplay of factors that influence media content in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world.
Here are some of the key points from the chapter:
The hierarchy of influences model provides a framework for understanding the complex factors that shape media content.
The model emphasizes the importance of multiple levels of analysis, from individual professionals to social systems.
The model has been successfully used to explain a wide range of phenomena related to media content.
The model remains relevant in the networked public sphere, where media content is produced, disseminated, and consumed in new and complex ways.