Marxist views on media ownership Flashcards
Bourgeoisie
Ruling class, own most wealth, elite
Proletariat
Working class, wage earners
Proprietors
Owners of business/property
2 types of Marxism
- Traditional
- Neo- marxism
Traditional Marxism summary
- Hyperdermic syringe model = Packard
- Directly controlled
- Bourgeoisie intentionally exploit and brainwash proletariat
Neo-Marxism summary
- New
- Selective filter model = Klapper
- Indirectly controlled
- The Bourgeoise things are done indirectly
Traditional Marxism
- Owners have direct control
- Audience is assumed to be passive
- Owners use the media to spread ideas which shows the powers of ruling class
- Media managers have to follow the wishes of their owners
Marcuse
Mass media promotes consumerism and gives the working class false needs and in turn the minimal money given to the w/c is given to the ruling class
Miliband
- ‘Opium of the masses’
- Drug
- Addictive
- Majority
Curran
Suggests that evidence for owner inteference in and manipulation of content is strong
- Majority of newspapers have supported the Conservative Party
Lord Beaverbrook
- Runs the daily express for the “purpose of making propoganda and with no other motive”
- Put across conservative views
- Having several meetings with Hitler
Contemporary evidence = Rupert Murdoch
He can:
- Have direct control of media content
- Can and do interfere with media content
- Owned the sun newspaper
- “It was the sun wot won it”
David Cameron
Had meetings on his yatch and wanted to influence his audience
Murdoch X MU football club
- Put in a bid for Manchester united
- Department of trade and industry rejected his bid, claiming he’d have too much power
Anecdotal
However, Marxists are suggesting that media owners, wealth holders and political elite are in an ideological conspiracy to brainwash the population, sociologists have only anecdotal evidence
Hegemony
Leadership
Agenda setting
Ability to influence through media
Infotainment
Broadcast material
GUMG (Glasgow University Media Group)
- Point out that journalists tend to be male, white middle class
- 54% = privately educated
- Believe in consensus views and ideas
Agenda setting
- GUMG argues that media present society with a narrow agenda for discussion
- Agenda setting results in cultural hegemony
- Gramsci came up with the idea of hegemony
- Argues there is little choice for the audience
Summary of the Neo-Marxist view
Media doesn’t intentionally brainwash people, this would be too difficult, instead the owners are mainly white, male and middle class
- Reinforces capitalist ideology, school, religion and workplace reinforce these values
- Creating false class consciousness
Murdoch’s decisions
- Relocating the production of his British newspapers to use new tech
- Sacked editors who didn’t share his views
- Reduced price of newspapers to drive out competitions
