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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 (BajomiLazar, 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.
