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34] Digital Media and Storytelling in Higher Education
mass communication. Mass communication has an agenda-setting effect,
which means that mass media sets the agenda for what the public should
care and think about (McCombs & Shaw, 1972). Framing theory directly
argues that mass media presents messages in a specific framework (i.e., a
narrative structure) according to political and economic interests. Some
events are included and others are suppressed or overemphasized, thus
allowing the dominant stratum of society to dominate the masses’ opinions.
Those belonging to the more educated elite are better able to interpret the
underlying message of mass media narratives, and are more likely to be
informed by multiple sources and possess a critical perspective (Bajomi¬
Lazar, 2006). The reception theory of the 1990s has also influenced media
research, which has raised the issue that the reception of news narratives is
receiver-dependent, as each viewer brings different contexts into play when
consuming mass media.
Mass media also responds to the need for explicit storytelling. The most
popular radio shows have been theater broadcasts and serial radio programs
(e.g. The Szabo Family, 1969-2007). In the heyday of Hungarian television,
theater broadcasts and cabaret shows attracted the largest audiences, and
the first series were already born in the early days of television broadcasting
(Captain of Tenkes, 1963-1964). The film language, narrative techniques
and genres typical of film can also be observed in the series. In serials, the
episodes’ plots build on each other. The plot, with all its plot threads, which
can take place over several seasons, continues the tradition of radio plays
and serialized novels published in 19'"-century newspapers. The events in the
serialized episodes are interesting due to their impact on the relationships
between the characters. Each episode follows the same basic structure: 3-4
plot threads are narrated and the episodes are linked by a cliffhanger (ie.,
an open question). The viewer is drawn to the program by the constantly
evolving plot. In contrast, the episodes of the series are self-contained, with
each episode bringing the characters back to a state of equilibrium. The
episodes form narrative units - only the main characters, genre and thematic
elements remain the same. Such series have only one or two plot threads per
episode. In the case of serial narratives, we can speak of fragmentation by
genre and by target group, as in the case of Hollywood films. What is different
from the narrative structure of films, however, is that the expository section
is short or absent from the beginning of the episodes, and there are several
repetitive (reminiscent) elements at the level of the characters and the plot
(Mittel, 2006).
At the turn of the millennium, the audiovisual content market saw the
emergence of cinema film and the production and distribution of high-concept
series with more complex narratives, rather than the cliché-laden series with
tabloid content which had been the norm for decades. This was a response to
a process that had already begun in the 1980s, when viewers were increasingly
able to control the time and content of the reception of television narratives.