1) Ownership and control of mass media Flashcards

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1
Q

How did McCullagh define mass media?

A

Mass media are simply the means through which content, whether, fact or fiction, is produced by organisations and transmitted to and received by an audience.

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2
Q

McCullaghs definition includes three aspects what are they?

A

Production of messages by media institutions.
Content of media messages.
Reception of message by an audience.

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3
Q

Identify the three types of media organisation?

A

Community based e.g. local radio
Public/ state owned e.g. BBC
Privately owned e.g. News corporation

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4
Q

Give examples of how there is now a increased media choice?

A

In 1988 there was only 4 TV channels, since 2011 there has been 1000 TV channels.
There was 60 commercial radio stations today there are around 350.

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5
Q

What is media concentration ?

A

where fewer and fewer companies actually own what we hear and see about.

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6
Q

What are the 3 major developments that has brought around media concentration?

A

Vertical integration.
Horizontal integration.
Transnational ownership.

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7
Q

What is vertical integration?

A

The process by which one owner acquires all aspects of production and distribution of a single type of media product.

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8
Q

What is horizontal integration?

A

One organisation buying up companies from different media, concentrating ownership across different kinds of media.

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9
Q

Give an example of horizontal integration?

A

News corporation owned by Rupert Murdoch. It initially produced newspapers but now publishes books (harper collins), television (Bskyb), radio (Sky), film (20th Century Fox) and the internet (Myspace).

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10
Q

what is transnational ownership?

A

The ownership by a single company of media organisations which operate in two or more countries.

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11
Q

Give an example of transnational ownership?

A

News corporation- produces over 175 newspapers in Australia, Britain and the USA; it owns 37 television stations; and is able to beam programmes into homes through ownership and control of cable programming and satellite operations across Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America and the USA

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12
Q

Explain increasing concentration?

A

Media products are costly to produce, it requires a large upfront investment. However producing copies of the original is cheap. This encourages media organisations to maximise their audiences hence vertical and horizontal integration also transnational ownership.
Vertical allows companies to sell products easier.
Horizontal allows companies to promote products easier.
Transnational ownership allows them to sell on a global scale.

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13
Q

What is pluralism?

A

A theory in which sees power widely spread dispersed in democratic societies.

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14
Q

What does pluralism argue about western societies ?

A

They’re a representative democracy where the concerns and interests of the population as a whole and of particular groups within the population are represented.

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15
Q

According to Pluralism is any group dominant ?

A

No one group is dominant. To some extent all groups have a say in the running of society, and all adults have the freedom to choose who governs society.

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16
Q

Explain reflecting public demand (Pluralism)?

A

The content of the mass media mirrors what the public wants. The media cater to the public as a whole or to particular groups in society.
Those who own and control the media usually take a pluralist view that they need to satisfy public demand to stay in business.

17
Q

Explain diverse society, diverse media (Pluralism)?

A

As no one group dominates, the media presents a range of views which reflect the diverse views in society. This allows the audiences freedom to choose between them.
However bias may occur as broadcasters sympathise with what people want to hear.

18
Q

Explain digital technology (Pluralism)?

A

All forms of communication, from statistical data to the human voice can be coded, stored and relayed in digital form. This can be seen as a transfer of power from owners to audiences as it allows them to choose what and when to access it (Murdock and Golding).

19
Q

Explain media concentration (Pluralism)?

A

Concentration of ownership is essential for survival in an increasingly global market. Only global companies such as Time Warner have the resources to provide audiences with a wider choice and greater range of media products at affordable prices.

20
Q

Explain media deregulation (Pluralism)?

A

Media deregulation is the reduction or abolition of laws limiting media ownership and regulating media output. Since the introduction of commercial TV, there has been a steady reduction of the regulations governing media and in result a rapid expansion of channels and competition between terrestrial, satellite and cable companies.

21
Q

Give an example of media deregulation?

A

In the UK, TV broadcasts were formerly limited to the BBC, a state owned organisation controlled by a board of governors appointed by home secretary. The content was regulated by rules of public service broadcasting which stated that the BBC should ‘inform, educate and entertain’ to in practice bring around a balance between entertainment and news.

22
Q

Explain why Pluralism welcome media deregulation in terms of private ownership?

A

Private ownership is the most effective way to provide a wide range of choice to audiences, also to compete with other privately owned media organisations.

23
Q

Evaluate reflecting public demands, diverse society= diverse media and digital technology?

A

Reflecting public demands- Does the media really reflect what we want or does it reflect what owners think make interesting news that will sell?

Diverse society= Diverse media- Due to media concentration the media is now being dominated by 5 big corporations which according to Bagdakian has pushed politics into the far right (conservative) and now have little room for liberal or radical voices. These view reflect the owners and the advertisers on whom the owners depend on for profit. So are diverse views actually being portrayed?

Digital technology- Audiences still have to pay to view these libraries of digital media, which are limited as the owners decide what products are coded and made available for digital access.

24
Q

Evaluate media concentration and media deregulation?

A

Media concentration- Due to this less and less local news and local voices being heard and reported for example, the largest radio chain in America has over 1200 local radio stations but only 200 employees as programmes are pre recorded and are broadcast by stations throughout the USA. (Bagdakian)

Media deregulation- How many channels do we actually need? Most people work during the days so when we do watch TV, we stick to our favourite channels and programmes, we don’t need 1000 channels.

25
Q

Marx believed that society is made up of two structures; the infrastructure (economy) and the superstructure (rest of society) and that the infrastructure largely shapes the superstructure why?

A

The infrastructure has the means of production which includes machines, raw materials and buildings, all which are used to manufacture goods, all which are owned by the ruling class. This allows for the subordinate classes to be exploited until they notice and overthrow the ruling class.

26
Q

How is the relationship of dominance and subordination reflected in the superstructure ?

A

Laws protect the ruling class and allow them to take profits, in the same way norms and values of society support the ruling class domination.

27
Q

How can you link the Base Vs Superstructure to mass media?

A

As the mass media is part of the superstructure it will portray capitalism as normal, reasonable and acceptable. And as part of the ruling class the owners of the mass media corporations will have a vested interest in portraying capitalism in a good light, so it will transmit a conformist view that reinforces the position of the ruling class.

28
Q

Miliband a Neo Marxist describes media as what?

A

‘the new opium of the people’. He adapted Marxs quote ‘Religion is the opium of the people’.

29
Q

Why did Miliband say that the media is ‘the opium of the people’?

A

He describes media as a hallucinatory drug which creates illusions and produces a sense of well being, which keeps the subject classes quiet and encourages them to accept the system.

30
Q

According to Marx does it matter who owns and controls the media?

A

No (but they believe it’s the bourgeoisie) because due to the structure of society, the media will reflect the view of the ruling class and broadcast dominant ideology as it’s an instrument of oppression.

31
Q

What is diversification ?

A

Some media corporations are not content to focus on media products, but have diversified into other fields. The best example of this is Virgin which began as a music label and record shop chain, but has expanded into a wide range of products and services including cola, vodka, banking, insurance, transport, digital television, cinema and wedding dresses.

32
Q

What is synergy ?

A

Media companies often use their very diverse interests to package or synergise their products in several different ways, e.g. a film is often accompanied by a soundtrack album, computer game, ring tone or toy action figures. A company may use its global interests to market one of its own films through its television channels, magazines and newspapers in dozens of countries at the same time.

33
Q

What is technological convergence?

A

a recent trend which involves putting several technologies into one media product. Companies that normally work in quite separate media technology fields are joining up or converging in order to give customers access to a greater range of media services across technologies such as interactive television, lap-tops, MP3 players and mobile phones