1) Ownership And Control Of The Mass Media

Question 1

What are the 3 types of media?

Answer 1

1) The print media
- newspapers, magazines and comics

2) The audio-visual media
- TV, radio, satellite

3) The cyber media
- Internet and worldwide web- Facebook

Question 2

What does Bagdikian (2004) say?

Answer 2

By 2004 media ownership in the US was concentrated in 7 corporations- Times Warner, Disney and News Corp

Question 3

Definition of Mass Media

Answer 3

Those agencies of communication that transmit information, education, news and entertainment to mass audiences

Question 4

What does media concentration mean?

Answer 4

Concentration of media ownership is a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organisations control increasing shares of the mass media

Question 5

What has caused Media Concentration?

Answer 5

1) Horizontal integration
2) Vertical integration
3) Diversification
4) Global Conglomeration
5) Synergy
6) Technological Convergence

Question 6

What is Horizontal integration?

Answer 6

Bigger media companies often own a diverse range of media

News Corp runs newspapers as well as Sky

Question 7

What is Vertical integration?

Answer 7

Media companies are trying to control all aspects of their industry in order to maximise profits

News Corp want greater economic control

Question 8

What is Diversification?

Answer 8

When firms diversify into new business areas in order to spread risk

Losses made in one area may be compensated by profits in another

Virgin

Question 9

What is Global Conglomeration?

Answer 9

Transnational corporations with a presence in many countries, operating in a global market

New Corps- UK, Aus and US

Question 10

What is synergy?

Answer 10

Increasingly media companies are using their different interests to package their products in several different ways

Spider Man- movie, computer game and mechanise

Question 11

What is technological convergence?

Answer 11

Tendency for once diverse media forms to combine as a result of digital technology

Orange combine with Sony

Question 12

Neo-Marxist view

Answer 12

It places less emphasis on economy- ideology needs to support the ruling class as this keeps them going

GRAMSCI- hegemony- most central ideas in society are those created by the ruling class

• Media pros control the media
• Even though this is the case the media still benefits the ruling class
• this is because media pros are socialised into the same values
• the owners trust the media pros they hire
• owners still have control what goes into the media
• this can create a false conscious for consumers- leads us to believing everything in the media

Question 13

Marxism View

Answer 13

• Owners are in control of the media- they control it to benefit them so output is manipulated
• creates conflict between the 2 classes
• media owners have the economic power so they can control ideological output- this means the proletariat are exploited
• consumers are also brainwashed
• CHANDLER- media forms part of a means of production- the power to influence the rest of society

MILIBAND- (the state in capitalist society)

• the power of the dominant classes to control the way people think
• he says the content of the media reflects the viewpoint of the dominant group
• he sees media as a drug which creates illusions and produces the feeling of well being

Question 14

Pluralist view

Answer 14

• Consumers control the media due to the wide range of choice that is provided- various channels are now aimed at minority groups
• the media reflects the range of views that reflect the diversity of society
• more competition creates better media for all consumers
• BLONDEL- no single group has power or control
• WHALE- argues that media owners have global problems of trade and investment to occupy their minds and so do not have the time to think about the day to day detailed running of their media business

Question 15

Pluralism and the media

Answer 15

> Reflecting public demand

• the content of the media mirrors what the public want
• they satisfy public demand to stay in business

> Diverse society, diverse media

• views reflect the public opinions
• no one group dominates society- power is shared amongst groups
• audience has freedom
• some views are bias but this is because they want to produce views that people sympathise with

> Digital Technology
- consumers can access a selection of films and music from huge libraries

> Media Concentration
- it’s essential for survival in an increasingly global market

> Media Deregulation

• lead to a rapid expansion in the number of channels and increased competition between terrestrial, satellite and cable companies
• in many countries there are laws which limit the concentration- prevent organisations dominating

Question 16

Critiquing the Pluralist view

Answer 16

> Media Concentration and Democracy

• it has let to the views of the conservatives dominating and there’s no room for liberal and radical voices- reflect views of media owners
• less and less local news
• choice being narrowed as they are showing more of the same thing on same channels

> The Drive For Profits
- main aim is making money not being a public service

1) Infotainment- making more money through increasing the readership of newspapers has led to a growth of human interest story
2) Advertising revenue- the larger the audience the more money that is spent

> Digital Technology
- audiences often have to pay for access to digital libraries