Media

Question 1

What is dominant ideology?

Answer 1

What Marxists see societies having, with the ruling class (RC) in control; it’s the ideas that justify the social advantages of wealthy, powerful and influential groups, as well as the disadvantages of those who lack power and wealth

Question 2

What is one example and one agent of the dominant ideology?

Answer 2

-One example of dominant ideology is the negative portrayal of asylum seekers and welfare claimants

-According to Althusser, in the form of an ISA, the media is an agent (as it maintains false class consciousness)

Question 3

According to Milligan’s and GMG (Glasgow media group), how does the media spread dominant ideology?

Answer 3

-They control access to the knowledge people have about society
-They encourage them to accept inequality
-They promote information that make those who challenge the system seem extreme or/and unreasonable (e.g Andrew Tate)

Question 4

Who is the media regulator?

Answer 4

Ofcom (Office of communications): they ensure that the consumers’ interests are prioritised/favoured.

Question 5

What is meant by media saturation?

Answer 5

Where society has too much exposure to the media (thanks to the advancements in technology making news more accessible)

Question 6

Give an example of media saturation:

Answer 6

-The riots were caused as a result of media saturation - with media saturation comes the distortion of information in order to manipulate narratives (thus leading people astray from the truth)

-People were misinformed that the stabbed of the children was Muslim (painting him as a terrorist), when in fact he was a Christian!

Question 7

What does Baumann claim?

Answer 7

In the last 30 years, more information has been produced than during the previous 5000 years
(As a result of technology being more prominent within our lives within this 30 year period)

Question 8

How has the concentration of the media altered?

Answer 8

The concentration of news outlets ownership has increased (thanks to big companies buying out smaller news outlets through Mergers & Acquisitions, which has led to an oligopoly!)

Question 9

What is the percentage of the mass media concentration ownership by the biggest owners (within this oligopoly)?

Answer 9

86% of national daily and Sunday newspapers are controlled by just 4 companies

Question 10

What is the hegemonic approach?

Answer 10

This Neo-Marxist idea preaches how the 5 billionaires who mostly own the mass media can potentially promote their capitalist interests in order to spread dominant ideology (therefore aligning with the manipulative approach)

Question 11

Who’s one of the billionaires who (according to the hegemonic approach) can potentially spread their capitalist interests?

Answer 11

Rupert Murdoch, who’s the major force behind News Corp UK, which owns 32% of all national daily newspaper sales in the UK; He himself also founded sky news

Question 12

What is vertical integration? (and give one example)

Answer 12

Where one company owns all stages of in the production and distribution of their media products:

-E.g Time Warner makes its own films and releases them to its own cinemas

Question 13

What is horizontal integration? (and give examples)

Answer 13

(A.K.A cross-media ownership) is where media companies own a range of media through acquisitions:

-E.g Meta owns other media companies such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp
-Coca Cola owns Fanta and Sprite

Question 14

What is technological convergence? (and give one example)

Answer 14

Where media companies try to maximise the sales of their products by making them available/accessible in different formats so that they can be used on a single device:

-E.g Mobile phones now have social apps, music, the internet, books, as well as the phone (they’re more versatile than just the sole purpose of calling someone)

Question 15

What is global ownership? (and give an example)

Answer 15

Where owners of companies may venture their interests into other countries around the world:

-E.g News corp owns media outlets in several countries across the globe (such as Dow Jones & Company, FOXTEL)

Question 16

What is conglomeration and diversification? (and give an example)

Answer 16

Where huge companies have a wide range of interests in a wide variety of products beside the media:

-E.g Amazon started as a bookseller, but later diversified their interests into selling products online and conducting delivery services

Question 17

What is synergy? (and give examples)

Answer 17

Where media companies promote and sell a product in a variety of forms, either through parts of the same company or through collaboration with others:

-E.g Disney has its films, theme parks and streaming services to promote their content
-Coca Cola advertise their products on cinema screens, TV slots, public transport, billboards or social media apps (like YouTube, Instagram, etc.)

Question 18

What does the Manipulative/Instrumentalist approach suggest about the influence of owners?

Answer 18

-Media owners directly control and manipulate their content and audiences in order to spread dominant ideology:

E.g In Feb 2003, Rupert Murdoch argued for the war in Iraq to commence (and all 175 of his newspapers, including “The Sun” backed his viewpoint, through his editorial control)

Question 19

What is commodity fetishism?

Answer 19

Where the public is fed “dumbed-down”, trivial, undemanding content in order to encourage them to focus on ‘must have products’ rather than focusing on and interpreting serious issues such as inequality (this favours the upper classes as this maintains their status/power)

Question 20

What are criticisms of the manipulative/instrumentalist approach/ the dominant ideology?

Answer 20

-The state (Ofcom) regulates media ownership (in order to prevent a monopoly situation, where one outlet has too much influence)

-Not everyone is as gullible or as easily manipulated (people can interpret info for themselves)

-Pluralists argue that through citizen journalism and the new technology, there’s now a wide range of opinions in the media, undermining the influence of media owners.

Question 21

How is the hegemonic approach similar and different to the manipulative approach?

Answer 21

-Similarly to the manipulative approach, it also preaches how the mass media is owned by a few members of the wealthy elite (so it spreads dominant ideology)

-However, the hegemonic approach states that the managers and journalists have more day-to-day control of the media’s content than the owners

Question 22

How does GMG suggest that the media managers and journalists spread dominant ideology?

Answer 22

Through their editorial control and choice (not by force from the owners), they have day-to-day control over the content put out

Question 23

What is agenda setting? (and give an example)

Answer 23

Where the media manages which issues are presented for discussion
E.g the focus was on the damage caused by the rioters in 2011 rather than why they were rioting in the first place (Mark Duggan’s death)

Question 24

What is gatekeeping? (and give one example)

Answer 24

Where people/organisations have the power to limit access to something useful, like information
E.g DSMA notices issued by the government

Question 25

What are criticisms of the hegemonic approach?

Answer 25

-It underestimates the power and influence of the owners (e.g former ‘Sun’ editors claimed how they would constantly consider how Rupert Murdoch would present a story)

-Pluralists suggest people now have the power and resources to find out the non-filtered info for themselves (thanks to the new globalised digital media)

Question 26

What is the pluralist approach?

Answer 26

It believes how there’s a wide range of competing media outlets, so therefore media outlets aren’t driven by trying to promote their “dominant ideologies” or political interests;

but are rather seeking to generate profits through public attention (as it’s consumer choice that’s in control)

Question 27

What are criticisms of the pluralist approach?

Answer 27

-Only very rich individuals or the government can launch major media companies (and these 2 have stopped stories that threatened their interests through legal and political pressure)

-With the pressure to generate profits and attract audiences, this causes infotainment, resulting in a decline of serious news reportings

Question 28

What is media professionalism? (and give one example)

Answer 28

Where journalists and editors report on their own viewpoints (without allowing the owners to control their bias)

-E.g the ITV with GMB where Piers Morgan and other presenters may have differing political viewpoints

Question 29

How do Marxists view state-controlled media?

Answer 29

They see media as a tool for the the RC ideologies to be further presented (so they can maintain control over the population)

Question 30

What is conformist / conservative ideology?

Answer 30

The importance of preserving and upholding traditional values, norms and institutions resisting radical changes / rapid transformations

Question 31

What is globalisation? (and an example)

Answer 31

How the world has become more interconnected through advancements in technologies, travel, communications, media and culture

-E.g in football (supporters abroad may come from overseas to watch footballers from their home countries)

Question 32

What does McLuhan claim as a result of rapid technological change?

Answer 32

He talks about how the world has become a “global village”, meaning people can communicate instantaneously, thus shrinking the world into a “village”.

-However this also means people are exposed to the same content (such as TV programmes, entertainment and information) (Links to cultural homogenisation)

Question 33

What is popular culture? (and give examples)

Answer 33

This culture is designed to be liked and enjoyed by the ordinary people; It’s unchallenging and passive

E.g: -Soap operas (Eastenders, Coronation street)
-Game shows (The Chase)
-Reality shows

Question 34

What is high culture?

Answer 34

This is culture that’s treated with respect and reverence, as it’s seen as special
(this type of content has been traditionally consumed by the MC and upper classes)

Question 35

What are examples of high culture?

Answer 35

-Operas (such as the Royal Ballet and Opera)
-Art galleries
-Classical music

Question 36

What are criticisms of popular / mass culture?

Answer 36

-It’s criticised for lowering cultural standards and diverting people away from more useful activities

-Marxists argue how it maintains ideological hegemony, as the popular culture is a form of social control

Question 37

What does Livingstone claim about popular culture?

Answer 37

Soap operas (a form of popular culture) were informing and educating the public about controversial social and political issues (e.g child rape/abuse, incest, homelessness, homophobia, domestic violence, etc.)

It promotes public discussions that would have never been pointed out

Question 38

What does Flew criticise globalisation for?

Answer 38

Cultural homogenisation - people have started to share the same culture, meaning less cultural diversity

(E.g people share the same interests in music, sports, travel, food, fashion)

Question 39

What does Sklair and Marxists state about the concept of consumerism?

Answer 39

-It’s a contributing factor to the concept of an idealised western lifestyle (as they blur the difference between information and entertainment)

-Marxists argue that through consumerism, capitalists are forcing their agenda to consumers (as they encourage acceptance of the dominant ideology)