evaluate the idea that the news is a social construct Flashcards
what must you write in the intro abotu social constructs
A social construct is something that exists not in objective reality, but as a result of human interaction. It exists because humans agree that it exists. Some examples of social constructs are countries and money. ( link this to the news)
(Answer these questions): not all global happenings are reported,
though depending on who you ask the audience are who decides what is reported or deemed as important.
pluralist views and marxist views are the two most prevalent in this discussion
What do you write for point in paragraph 1
Yes the news is socially constructed –it is used by the ruling class to spread ruling-class ideology and keep the ruling-class in power
What is explain for paragraph 1
The owners of the media aim to spread ideas (the dominant ideology) which justifies the power of the ruling class. accentuating False class consciousness
what is evidence for paragraph 1
Milliband believes there is an instrumentalist approach I which the ruling class see the media as an instrument to manipulate media content and media audiences in its own interests
What is evaluation for paragraph 1
No the news is not socially constructed for this purpose Pluralists argue there is media diversity.
pluralists argue the range of media products available is extremely diverse and as a result all points of view are catered
therefore, it is not biased as all views are accounted for. the media mirrors what the audience see as important to earn the most money
What is link for paragraph 1
Therefore this demonstrates
What is point for paragraph 2
Yes the news is socially constructed –stories are selected by gatekeepers of the media and are based on owners’ agendas and news values.
what is explain for paragraph 2
the news is a socially manufactured product as gatekeepers and editors, journalists and sometimes owners make choices about what events are important enough to cover and how to cover them
What is evidence for paragraph 2
The miners strike is an example of classic gatekeeping by the media in which the event was either not covered or portrayed in a negative light
What is evaluation for paragraph 2
No the news is not constructed in this way,and to back this statement is the Leveson inquiry, where News Of The World hacked the phone of murdered school girl Milly Dowler for a story,deleting messages and such to create false hope to the police and her family for the sake of a story.They were found out and promptly shut down.This showcases how the owners cannot get away with such acts as this resulted in the closure of news of the world
What is point for the third paragraph
Yes the news is socially constructed –Moral panics are created that are not an accurate version of events in society
what is explain for paragraph 3
Moral panics such as immigration and immigrants stealing jobs are just examples of the news and its bias and portraying of an innocent group in a negative light, instilling a moral panic
what is evidence for paragraph 3
Goode and Ben Yehuda argue now that the moral panic produces a folk devil- a stereotype of deviance that suggests the perpetrators of the act are evil and selfish and steps need to be taken to stop their actions.
What is evaluate for paragraph 3
no the news is not socially constructed in this way. Left realists argues that moral panics should not be dismissed as they have a real basis in reality. The media often identify groups that are a real threat in inner city areas. They argue moral panics are sometimes justified.
pluralists stress professionalism of journalists and editors and they argue they would never compromise their independence and have too much integrity to be bias or perpetuate a lie to instill moral panic.
What is the first paragraph talking about
spreading ruling class ideology in the news
