3) Selection and presentation of news content Flashcards
Explain the base vs superstructure argument in relation to mass media output ?
Because it’s part of the superstructure, the media will reflect the economic base and present capitalism as normal, reasonable and acceptable. Those who own the media will have a vested interest in portraying a capitalist society in a positive light. This means the media will portray a conservative conformist view that reinforces the position of the ruling class.
Who adapted Marx’s quote ‘religion is the opium of the people’ to describe media, and explain the new quote.
Miliband- neo marxist ‘media is the new opium of the people’. He believes the media is like a hallucinatory drug which creates illusions and produces a feeling of well being. This keeps the subject class quiet and encourages them to accept a system which, in reality exploits them.
Pluralists see western society as a representative democracy where the concerns and interests of the population as a whole and of particular groups within the population are represented why?
They believe no one group is dominant in society and to some extent all groups have a say in the running society, we have the freedom to choose who governs society.
Pluralism argues the media reflects what the public wants, explain why?
The media responds to the demands of the market. Owners take this approach as they need to stay in business because if they don’t satisfy the public they wont buy their newspaper or watch their Tv programme.
Pluralists further assert the media reflects the diverse opinions in society, but why?
No one groups dominates the whole society so power is shared among a range or groups and the media mirrors this diversity. The media provides a wide range of views which allows the audience freedom to choose between them. Minority views are still produced and catered for because the choice of newspapers, magazines, films etc that are available in the free market.
Pluralism also maintains that through digital technology and media deregulation, the owners of the mass media corporations serve the interests of the whole of society, not just the ruling class, explain this?
Pluralists certify that because all forms of communication can be coded, stored and relayed in digital form a transfer of power has occurred. They certify this because now consumers can access their material whether it be a film or music or a book from a digital library whenever they want.
Media deregulation is the reduction or abolition of laws limiting media ownership and regulating media output. A good example of this is in the UK, TV broadcasts were formerly limited to the BBC,a state owned organisation controlled by a board of governors appointed by the Home Secretary. The content was regulated by rules of public service broadcasting which stated that the BBC should ‘inform,educate and entertain’ so that in practice a balance between entertainment and the news.
Evaluate the pluralist point of digital technology and media deregulation?
However, has a transfer of power really occurred. Audiences still have to pay to access the vast libraries of digital media and only certain products are available because the owners of the corporations decide what’s coded and made available for digital access.
However 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.
What are news values?
Values and assumptions held by the editors and journalists which guide them in choosing what is news worthy.
Identify and explain 3 of them?
Reference to the elite- Stories which cover the famous and the powerful
Extraordinariness- unexpected or rare events
Threshold- The bigger the event the more likely it will be reported.
Explain the mods and rockers?
Cohen- two youth subcultures went to clacton for day out. Media presented it as two rival gangs ‘hell bent on destruction’. Fighting, vandalism, and anti social behaviour were reported as being widespread and those identified were the mods and rockers. There was little evidence of violence and vandalism, but there was large noisy crowds of people and a few scuffles between groups.
What happened due to the reporting of the mods and rockers?
As the media presented a distorted image and sensationalised image of the groups it led to a moral panic- public concerns and fears of the groups. Police increased their presence at seaside resorts, more and more young people resented the police for heavy handed and unjust behaviour and so identified with either the mods or rockers. this created more disturbances and more over sensationalised reporting.
Ben and Yehuda identify 5 key things for something to be called a moral panic?
increased public concern. increased hostility towards the group. public agreement of a threat. public concern is out of proportion to the real harm caused. appear and disappear quickly.
