Modern Family Media Case Study

Introduction

Communication is one of the key aspects of life, as available in various aspects. Everybody engages in communication, whether there are aware of it or not. Communication can be defined as a simple conversation to mass-communication, such as publications and news broadcasts. The media plays a significant role in communication, and in contemporary society, it can be defined as the key channel for mass communication. The media is a critical force in modern society and can either be broadcasted, spoken, or written. In any culture, the media has a persuasive role in delivering information, encouraging culture, and creating motivational behavior. The technology advances such as television, smartphones, and the internet have enhanced media's role and how it influences public opinion on various cultures. Understanding media is essential as it helps the audience the message being communicated to them. This paper addresses the Modern Family TV show as a form of media used to communicate various messages to the audience. Modern Family TV shows have numerous examples of communication concepts, strategies, and theories discussed throughout the semester that will be highlighted throughout the paper.

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Modern Family TV show

Modern Family is a USA sitcom released in 2009 and on its finale season. The TV show tells of three different families, each having different perceptions making it relatable to a modern-day American family. The "Dunphy" family represents a traditional family, the "Pritchett-Tuckers" family describes a sexually exploring family as it brings in the theme of homosexuality, and Pritchett's family represents a multicultural family. Modern Family TV show is communicating modern family ideologies in American culture. The TV show is an example of a sitcom that generates mockumentary senses of humor and influences its audience.

Type of Media

Different types of media have played a different influential role in making Modern Family a success. The common media used to deliver the message is television. Televisions have been part of many American families for the last few decades. Television uses images, videos, and sound to communicate with the viewers. Since Modern Family was premiered in 2009, it was first available online on websites such as ABC. Coms before television stations acquired broadcast syndication rights to air the series. Fox TV station was the first to earn airing rights in the USA, and its broadcasting rights have been distributed to other parts of the world. Audiences from the United Kingdom can view the show on Sky One channel, Fox channel to audiences in Sweden, and Star world to India's viewers. With the advanced technology, it easier for the viewers to watch Modern family through cable or satellite services on their television or any other portable devices such as smartphones, iPads, or personal computers. Modern Family TV shows also rely on advertisements across all media and social platforms available to communicate to their audience.

SMCR

The Modern Family TV show is an example of the Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver (SMCR) model while communicating its ideas. The SMCR is a linear communication model introduced by David Berlo in 1960 (Berlo). The model relies on two inherent actions; the sender encoding a message, including the transmission method to be applied, and the receiver decoding the message from the media channel. In the SMCR model, several factors must be considered. Sender communication skills, culture, attitude, knowledge, and social systems play a significant role. The message can either be transmitted as video, audio, texts, or photos. Factors that influence the medium choice include sound, smell, vision, or touch. The same factors influence the ability of the receiver to decode a message as the sender.

Unlike the social platforms where the audience might communicate through chats, watching Modern TV shows is a linear form of communication. The audience has to sit in front of the media channel of their choice, which is television, and decode the message being communicated by the sender. The characters of the Modern Family TV show have great communication skills and not only educate the viewers on American culture but also impact how the audience communicate. The TV shows also rely on vision and sound to communicate messages to the audience, making television, phones, and the internet the best mass communication channel.

Target Population

Modern Family TV show is a family sitcom that targets young adults, older families and couples, and young couples. Some of the people who follow the TV series believe they know how to deal with different social problems within their families. Smart television sets, computers, and mobile phones with screens are now cheaper and readily available. Hence, many people can own them, which was how a Modern Family could connect with younger audiences making the show available to stream on devices. Internet availability has also contributed to the number of television shows streamed online.

Cultural Context

Modern Family TV series talks about the current wave in modern families that allow gay and straight couples or family members to live together. Media messages occur in a social context that is already saturated with certain beliefs, attitudes, and opinions that vary across races, ages, gender, among others. These social differences indicate the cultural diversities within society. People accept or reject the messages aired on the media based on their beliefs. In other words, the media has little or no effect on an individual if he or she does not believe the information that is represented.

Cultural Implications

Researchers have been focusing on the implication of mass media on an individual and society. Several media theories shape our thinking and perception of the social diversity of a modern family. Social responsibility theory one of the few theories applied in this case study. Social responsibility theory gives the media a free pass to portray facts about society and an obligation to act to society's benefit (Adler). The Modern Family TV show shows media freedom to explore cultural diversity across our culture. The media has been allowed to address various stereotyping views on modern families such as race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Besides, the Modern Family show communicates gender roles as evident in a modern family. From a sitcom, family roles are perfectly played out. The mothers are concerned about maintaining the family's welfare, taking care of the children, creating and capturing memories that the families will cherish forever. Fathers are portrayed to be devoted to professions outside the family. The social responsibility theory applies to the dominant beliefs in modern society on mothers' and fathers' roles. Furthermore, the theory applies as the TV show educates the viewers on cultural diversity in modern American society. Modern family presents a larger family with many different cultures. Gloria and Manny have a separate culture from Jay and his children, Mitchell and Claire. The Modern Family TV series include three families with different personalities and mindsets. Race, gender, and sexual identity representation by the Sitcom revolve around three families: nuclear, blended, and couples of same-sex and the opposite sex.

Another mass communication theory includes the agenda-setting theory that explores the media's influence while reporting issues that relate to the public. Gender representation and stereotyping are issues affecting modern culture. The Modern Family series shows men and women as equals capable of performing the same family roles. Phil and Claire share responsibilities as both look at the kids and work. Adoption by a gay couple is another agenda addressed by the Sitcom. Mitchell and Cameron adopts a daughter and avoids being gender-specific while taking care of the daughter. In many modern families, dual-earning have increased. Not only are men seen as the breadwinners, but females are also going to works, as shown by Phil and Claire.

Audience Response

Modern Family TV shows received an excellent response from its audience since it was first premiered. The series has been continuous for eleven seasons, with the season finally happening in the year 2020. To most regular viewers, they are sad to bid farewell to the show. The comedy had a groundbreaking premiering that helped shaped the TV shows. The TV show led to the audience accepting representation and cultural diversity in the series such as The Big Bang Theory, How I met your Mother, Friends, and Two and a Half Men. The Sitcom has become widely accepted as if it features everything in modern culture; a gay couple with a child, an extended family, and a nuclear family. These features attract the attention of its audience.

Intersection

The media plays a significant role in the communication of change and information. The Modern Family is a great series that cuts across the many aspects of life. It is critical to note that the types of families we see today are diverse. The topics and the themes in the Modern Family series include sexual orientation as one of the many focuses. The TV series talks about sexual orientation and a gay family, extended family, and blended family. Sexual orientation is one of the topics which forms a great discussion in the United States. The show tries to shed light on this topic that many people have divided opinions about when it comes to same-sex marriage. It is a way the media tries to make something more socially acceptable.

The race is another thing embraced in the Modern Family TV series. Interracial couples/families are another idea/theme highlighted in this series. The series showed that people from different cultures and national origins could blend in and form a great family. Today in America, we have seen more interracial families existing as society is more accepting of who you choose to love or be with no matter where you come from or what you look like.

Religion guides the activities of the people in the home and families. The Modern Family series also explains the importance of worship and one's own religious beliefs. The nuclear and the extended family uphold the values taught in Churches, while gay couples have their way of worship. However, in this show, gay couples do not talk much about religion. They highlight that marriage equality was passed in the United States, which gave people the right to marry who they love, and it was important for the series makers to incorporate that idea in the TV show. The Modern Family series explains that it is possible to merge diverse people from different situations into one family. Someone does not have to be a certain race, or religion, a particular gender, but it is all about who loves who and how, even when different, they can come together.

Conclusion

The series talks about different things we see every day in our communities. Choosing a TV show is great because it reaches many people, and it can have an impact. Apple used Modern Family to promote its iPad launch back in 2011/2012, which was successful after seeing a spike in sales after being on Modern Family. The messages communicated in the show portrays that blended families can exist in America. The target population in the Modern Family series is the basic unit that forms a culture. The targeted audience are the young, old, and middle-aged people in the union of marriage or getting there. The times we are in, and the cultural context are accommodating for this type of show. It tells what people want to see and hear about the family in today's age. It highlights the main idea of what people want to see within families, which is acceptance.