Media News Ownership Theories Flashcards
Includes moral panics
What are the two ideas from marxism on News Control
News is bias with an ideological function behind it
News agenda legitimises capitalist view
What is meant by ‘news is bias with an ideological function behind it’ - marxism
McChesney: news being objective values is a myth so public believe we are seeing a democratic paper
Reality: news is manyfactured to subtly share ruling class ideology - through CEOs demanding journalists with threat to their jobs - Murdoch
How have Rich owners gained more control with newspapers - marxism
Rich owners have more control due to increase concentration of the news - fewer local papers due to being out competed by powerful papers
What is meant by ‘News agenda legitimises capitalist view’
News companies rly on adds on websites to gain more income and share capitalist ideas and dont share the ones that critcise it
Section within news dedicated to areas such as business news and does not show ny negatives of capitalist system - poverty
What did Edwards and Cromwell say about news agenda legitimising the capitalist view
Propganda machine for capitalism and ignore human rights violations and corporate crime
Which two theorists criticise the marxist theory on Ownership and Ideology and bias from Marxists
Pluralism: not one news media that manufacture to benefit capitalism. News outlets must compete and give wide range to accomodate audiences - prevent one sided bias
Journalists: stories not left out to support capitalism but because they go against unambiguous news values
What are the two main aspects of the Neo-marxists perspective of ownership of the news
Middle class backgrounds of journalists
Hierarchy of credibility
What is meant by ‘Middle class background of journalists’ as an aspect of Ownership of news -Neo-marxism
Journalists mc backgrounds control the news and release stories benefitting capitalism - Glasgow Uni Media group
Agenda setting - journalists unconsciously side with bourgeisie through class and choose to leave out news depending on if it suits their view - infavour of capitalism unintentionally
What are some examples of journalists selecting news to benefit capitalism unintentionally
Back muggers - Hall
Neglect cause fr London Riots - racially motivated killing by state
What is the difference between Marxism and Neo based on what they acknowledge with ownership of media and the public
Neo acknowledge that audiences do not passively accept news - when had first hand experience on reported topics so may criticise what is said in the news
Which sociologist came up with the ‘Hierarchy of credibility’
Hall et al
What is meant by ‘hierarchy of credibility’ as an aspect of Neo-marxisms perspective on ownership of news
Journalists likely to approach the elite and professional people as they believe the are more credible to report off of - become the ‘primary definers’ of media
= minorities are ignored or portrayed negatively
How do Neo-philiacs criticise the Neo-marxist perspective on ownership of news
New media, interactivity and citizen journalism means public have more control to share own views from diverse background
Alternate news that may challenge capitalism - BBC encourages to text news in
How do Pluralists criticise the Neo-marxist perspective on ownership of the news
Consumers do have contorl over news - sun not sold in liverpool after Hillsborough disaster
How do Feminists criticse the Neo-marxists perspective on ownership of the news
Ignore negative representation of women in news
What is the Pluralist perspective on ownership of the news
Journalists and news selection is objective and neutral due to the role of informing the audience
Regulated by organisations and impartial
Audience control the news - journalists must respond to what audiences want to see
Audiences can also contribute to news
Range of news to choose from to prevent one bias view
What is the Neo-pluralist view of Ownership of the news
Growing demands and competition of media = difficult for jouralists to remain impartial
Which two main ideas are aspects of the Neo-pluralism perspective of ownership of media
Churnalism
Rise of advertorials - jewell
What is meant by the ‘Rise of advertorials - Jewell’ as an aspect of Neo-pluralisms perspective of ownership of media
branded content paid for by advertisers promote products disguised as news articles
‘Watch it here first, M&S new christmas add’ on news article - The Mirror did similar
Which sociologist is behind the theories of Moral Panics
Cohen
What is a Moral Panic
Type of news media that creates anxiety amongst the general population regarding a group that are ‘threatening the moral standards’ of society. The portrayal exaggerates the real level of threat
What happened with the case study: Mods and Rockers
Easter Monday 1964
Journalists spent little time investigating and exaggerated small-scale scuffles and vandalism, portraying the two groups as a threat to nation law and order. They called for more policing and severe punishment
‘Day of terror’ ‘Riots’
What are the 5 stages of Moral Panics
1) Tabloids use sensationalised language and headlines to define group as a threat to society
2) Follow up articles oversimplify the situation and make the group identifiable (point out symbols such as dress)
3) Moral Entrepreneurs react to media portrayals with increase - pressure on authorities
4) Authorities respond -crack down
5) Social change - law
Which sociologists came up with the idea of 5 elements that make a moral panic
Goode + Ben-Yehuda
What are the 5 elements that make a moral panic - Goode + Ben-Yehuda
Concern - awareness of behaviour from group and understand the likely negative impact their behaviour will have
Hostility - towards group = folk devils and ‘them against us’
Consensus - Widespread acceptance that the groups pose a real threat, moral entrepreneurs are vocal and folk devils appear weak
Disproportionality - action taken is disproportionate to the actual threat
Volatility - moral panics disappear as quickly as they arrise due to decrease of public interest
What are the 5 reasons as to why moral panics come about
Reaction to rapid social change
Maintaining a collective conscience
A means of making profit
Serving RC ideology
Reflection of peoples real fears
What is meant by ‘Reaction to rapid social change’ as a reason why moral panics come about
Furedi: They come about due to people fear of loosing traditional norms and values and the media encourage and worsen this loss through exaggeration
What is meant by ‘Maintaining a collective conscience’ as a reason why moral panics come about
Cohen and Young: Journalists assume the people have shared common views so they believe reporting on the problem is just giving them what they want
Functionalists: it allows for boundary maintenance (reinforcing values) and helps fix feelings of anomie = collective conscience and social control
What is meant by ‘A means of making profit’ as a reason why moral panics come about
Moral panics are the result of news values and journalists desire to sell - panic and sensationalised headlines to ensure readers
What is meant by ‘Serving RC ideology (Neo-marxism)’ as a reason why moral panics come about
Hall: Black muggers had 3 main ideological purposes:
-Weaken revolution movement on ration grounds
-Divert attention away from inequalities from capitalism
-Justify over policing ethnic minorities (diverts audience away from inequality again)
What is meant by ‘A reflection of people real fears - Realist’ as a reason why moral panics come about
Moral panics should not be dismissed as they show the real problem - so media is justified for reporting on it
