Media Flashcards
Traditional media
Mass media
Non-interactive
Delivered to large mass audiences
E.g TV
The ‘new media’
Inter-active and screen-based
Integration of sound, test and images
E.g social media, satellites
Power of the media
Society has become media saturated
Media has become a form of secondary socialisation
Has important influence on peoples’ identities
What does Bauman say about the power of media
In the last 30 years more information has been produced than in the previous 5,000 years
Formal control of the media
The media and controls differ across countries
Examples of some formal controls
The law: restricts the media’s freedom to report anything they choose. E.g equality act 2010 forbid expression of opinions which expressed hatred against people
The BBC: royal charter - largely state funded. members are are appointed by the king on advice from the government. Its regulated by the BBC trust whilst also representing license paying audiences
Case study of Levenson enquiry
2011, journalists a News of the World hacked mobile phones linked to new stories.
Included celebrities, the public and a murder victim (Milly Dowler)
David Cameron initiated a high-profile inquiry - changes were brought in:
- replacing PCC with an independent regulatory body
- Ensuring body was backed by legislation
AIM: reassure the public that complaints would be handled
While ensuring press freedom from government interference
The press argued that freedom - enabling journalists
What are the governments influences on the media
- Official government press conferences and briefings of journalists
- Leaks and off the record briefings
- Use of government spin doctors
- Refusal to issue broadcasting licenses to those whom it deems are unfit
- Refusal to allow the use of some forms of computer software/ use of filtering software to block access to some internet sites
- Electronic surveillance of emails, monitoring of website and intercepts of mobile calls
- Official governement press conferences and briefings of journalists (government influences on the media)
Presenting government views on current issues I rode to get their views represented
- Leaks and of the record briefings (governments influences n the media)
Don’t quote any of the sources
Journalists that give favourable exposure to government, gain special treatment in the future
E.g privileged access to government sources
- Use of government spin doctors (governments influences on the media)
Try to manipulate the media - by providing a favourable slant to a potentially unpopular/controversial news item
Attempt to bury bad news by releasing information that makes the government look bad
Bad news hardly receives any recognition as the public is so caught up on governmental issues
- Refusal to allow the use of some forms of computer software/ use of filtering software to block access to some internet sites
E.g Google - withdrew from China in 2010 because government was hacking into google to track human rights activists
- Electronic surveillance of emails, monitoring of website and intercepts of mobile calls
2014 - new law brought out in the UK allowing police scrutinise the publics email and social media communications
This is likely to happen in areas with no democracy.
Ownership of the media
5 billionaires own 80% of the UK media
Media moguls
An individual who owns a significant share of a media company, arguably providing the, with significant control over that company’s media content
What did Bagdikian say about features of media ownership
Highlighted the concentration of media ownership, with a few global companies, termed ‘Lords of the global village’ dominating mass media and controlling the entire information process
What are the key features of lords of the global village media ownership
- Concentration of ownership
- Vertical integration
- Horizontal integration
- Global ownership, media ownership is international
- Conglomeration and diversification
- Global conglomeration
- Synergy
- Technological convergence
Concentration of ownership
Most of the media of all kinds are concentrated in the hands of large companies
Vertical integration
Concentration of ownership in a single medium
E.g a film company that also owns the cinema chains that show their films
Horizontal integration
Media owners have interests in a range of media
E.g newspapers, magazines etc
Global ownership, media ownership is international
Owners have global empires, with interests in many different countries
Conglomeration and diversification
Companies that have a diversity of interests in a wide variety of products besides the media
Global conglomeration
Media companies operating in global markets producing many different media products such as films and newspapers
Synergy
When media companies produce, promote and sell a product in a variety of forms
Technological convergence
Media companies try to maximise sales by promoting and making the products available in a variety of formats which can be accessed on a single device
Marxism and the media
Marxists see the media can manufacture ways the audience see the world around them
What does Morley say (Marxist view)
Interpretation of messages that those producing media content would prefer their audiences to believe
What does Althusser say (Marxists view)
Says that the dominant ideology form dominant classes takes place as a result of the ideological state apparatus
What does Miliband say (Marxists view)
Media editors,journalists etc have no choice but to run the media by the boundaries set by owners
Journalists produce biased, one sided media - dominating the ruling classes ideas
This encourages people to accept the inequality within society
Evaluation of the Marxists view
- The state regulates media ownership so no one person has too much influence. By law TV and radio in the uk have to report news impartially, therefore reduces bias opinions
