4.1 ownership and control of the mass media - pluralist theories

Question 1

What is the main argument of the pluralists regarding media?

Answer 1

• the content of the mass media reflects what the public, or a section of the public wants
• it relfects reality rather than creating reality

Question 2

Where does the power lie, according to the pluralists?

Answer 2

• power is shared among a range of groups and therefore the mass media reflects this diversity

Question 3

What attitudes are presented in the mass media, according to the pluralists?

Answer 3

• the media products clearly reflect the attitudes and tastes of their audiences

Question 4

Where can evidence be found to support the claim that the media are independent of the powerful in society?

Answer 4

• investigative journalism
• e.g. 1972 = two reporters from the Washington Post forced Richard Nixon to stand down after they exposed him for authorising the bugging of his opponents in their Watergate offices

Question 5

How is the behaviour of media owners constrained?

Answer 5

• by the market; media owners compete against each other to attract people to their product

Question 6

How does the free market impact the power balance of media owners?

Answer 6

• readers, viewers and listeners are the real power-holders because they exercise the right to buy or not to buy; they have freedom of choice
• power lies with the consumer/audience rather than the owners

Question 7

What kind of approach do audiences use?

Answer 7

• a pick ‘n’ mix one
• they are free to accept, reject, reinterpret or ignore media content in accordance with their tastes and beliefs

Question 8

What is the rationale for media concentration?

Answer 8

• economic rather than political/ideological

Question 9

What is the main aim of the media?

Answer 9

• to maximise audience size, in order to reduce costs and to attract advertising revenue

Question 10

What does Whale (1997) argue?

Answer 10

• ‘media owners have global problems of trade and investment to occupy their minds’ and so they don’t have the time to think about the day-to-day detailed running of their media businesses

Question 11

How does state controls impact the media?

Answer 11

• the power of media owners is also restricted by state or government controls
• e.g. in some societies, owners aren’t allowed to own too much media or different types of media, to reduce the possibility that one person’s or group’s views or products can become too dominant

Question 12

What are some criticisms of the pluralist approach?

Answer 12

• media owners appoint editors and strongly influence who is appointed at senior levels and so they will have the same views
• while managers/journalists have some independence, they work within constraints placed on them by owners
• not all groups in society have equal influence on editors/journalists to get their views across
• only very rich groups will have the resources required to launch major media companies to get their views across independently

Question 13

How can Barnett and Seymour’s study be used to critique the pluralist approach?

Answer 13

• it showed how the media were becoming more market-oriented and entertainment-centred, leading to less serious kinds of journalism that limited citizen’s knowledge of public affairs