Marxism

Question 1

Miliband

Answer 1

Argued media justifies class inequality, and that media shapes and manipulates how people think about the world they live in.

Question 2

How do Marxists view ownership?

Answer 2

They argue owners of media justify class inequality through transmitting a conservative conformist ideology through news and entertainment and by making the audience view these ideologies as ‘fact’ and ‘truth’

Question 3

Marcuses

Answer 3

Media controls us through ‘bread and circus approach’- they deliberately make sure media output is entertainment orientated, so people are kept happy and docile- they use superficial entertainment to distract and divert people from real issues

Question 4

Castles and Kosack

Answer 4

Argues media portrays people of ethnic minority as criminals and migrants to divide and control the working class (through manipulating the working class into viewing black people as a threat - distracting them from causes of inequality)

Question 5

Evidence of owners using media politically (Marxism)

Answer 5

Berlusconi’s control over three television stations (40% of the italian audience) was instrumental to his party winning the general election in 1994

Question 6

Evidence of owners interfering in newspapers (Marxism)

Answer 6

in 1997 Murdoch moved his newspapers to support new labour because Tony Blair was willing to lift state controls that prevents cross-ownership

Question 7

Criticisms of Marxist theory of ownership

Answer 7

Growth of critical content through new media suggests individuals are not passive