MEDIA - ownership and control Flashcards
Marxists believe that…
The concentration of media ownership is inherently dangerous
(as capitalist ideals are being transmitted more intensely)
Media professionalism
The idea that concentration of ownership is bad is criticised by many sociologists
- Just because one corporation owns many outlets, doesn’t mean it
turns into a giant brainwashing machine with all employees also
brainwashed.
- Individual companies and individuals within corporations have
agency to speak, write and edit how they want. This is part of
journalistic professionalism
MEDIA AUDIENCES - ACTIVE?
Even if journalists abandoned their professionalism, and started
writing just what their bosses told them to write, the audience
don’t passively believe everything and can be critical and
selective
Public broadcaster example
THE BBC ( Pluralists point out that Public Service Broadcasting
is still popular and owned by the public)
pluralists say that Publice service broadcasting systems are
impartial
Marxists believe that the government
can override some of which factors
- active media audiences
- Media professionalism
- impartial Publice service broadcasting systems
STATE CONTROLS
The state can have huge power in relationship to the media. Depending on the government and people in power, the media can be changed drastically:
● The state can put controls on what media companies can do/own
● The state can control the content media companies put out
examples of state control
Strong censorship during dictatorships , right now North Korea for example
what Marxists think
happens through the media
The role of Ideology
The role of Ideology
Marxists believe that the media creates false class-consciousness, through which the W/C believe that meritocracy exists and society is fair.
Disney and the role of ideology
(The guardian article)
Study by socs at Duke University : Class stereotypes reinforced by Disney’s biggest 🎬 = introducing young viewers to a life of ✅ their status, until their own hard work pulls them ← of poverty.
- 👀 that only 4% of the primary characters across the films could be classed as “poor
- Cartoons depicted diligence and 💪 spirit as the 🔑 indicators of social mobility
- “Being poor ❌ a big deal. Being working class makes you 😊. Anyone who wants to get ahead, and is ambitious and is a 👍 person, can do so. And the rich happily provide for everyone else”
- Studies have shown that by the time kids are 12, they have internalised a lot of American ideas about class = poor people are lazy, & rich people are 🤓 and 💪working
- Parents don’t really like talking to their kids about class, so I thought that the movies these kids watch are how they get their ideas on class.”
The media and ideology : MILIBAND (1973)
Conservative and conformist ideology
comes across as fact in the media
The media and ideology : Tunstall and Palmer (1991)
Government not interested in
controlling media because of ‘regulatory favours’
Regulatory favours (example)
1) SITUATION: 1 of Rupert Murdoch’s papers publishes an article that the conservative party don’t like.
2) The Conservatives could then set about creating restrictions, or penalising Murdoch
3) Murdoch’s papers turn against the
Conservatives which would see them lose power
Ownership and control 3 key approaches
1) The manipulative approach (aka instrumental approach) - Assoc. w
with traditional Marxism
2) The hegemonic approach - Assoc. w neo-Marxism
3) The pluralist approach - Assoc. w pluralism (obviously)
Manipulative approach associated with
traditional marxism
Manipulative approach (role of owners)
Directly control and manipulate the content & audiences, to protect their profits and spread the dominant ideology
Manipulative approach (Media editors and managers)
have little choice but to run the media within the
boundaries set by the owner
How does the Manipulative approach see the audience
as passive - a mass of easily
manipulated, unthinking and uncritical robots
Manipulative approach - EVAN argues…
Media moguls such as Murdoch undermine editorial independence and press editorial staff to adopt the same right-wing, conservative views as the moguls
The Hegemonic approach (role of media owners)
Although they have powerful influence, they rarely have day-to-day control of the media content, which is left in the hands of editors and journalists.
The Hegemonic approach (role of staff)
have some independence, but still support the dominant ideology by choice, not because they are manipulated into doing so.
The GMG state (Hegemonic approach)
most journalists tend to be white, middle-class and male, therefore share the same views as the dominant
class.
Media managers and journalists do not want to upset… (Hegemonic approach)
owners, but also need to attract audiences and advertisers
(Hegemonic approach) Journalist news values sometimes…
go against the dominant ideology, but this is to attract audiences and make a profit.
(The GMG explore) ‘agenda setting’ or ‘gatekeeping’
(which they believe is) A process where some news is excluded from
reporting = that audiences have ↓ choice of media content, as products are produced in the framework of the
dominant ideology.
The Pluralist approach (owners)
Media content is not driven by a dominant ideology or the political interests of owners, but instead the fight for profit through high circulation and audience figures
Pluralist approach (competition)
There is a ←→ range of competing media platforms & products that reflect a ←→ range of audience interests and choices.
Pluralist approach (government)
The media is generally free of government intervention and ownership, and can present whatever viewpoint they want.
Pluralist approach (audience choice)
Audiences are free to ‘pick and mix’ whatever interpretation suits them, they have the freedom to ✅,
❌ or re-interpret media content in accordance with taste and beliefs.
Bagdikian (2004)
1983 : 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the USA
but by 2004 media ownership was concentrated in seven corporations.
Curran (2003)
ownership of British newspapers has always been concentrated in the hands of a few powerful ‘press barons’
- e.g. in 1937 four men owned nearly 1 in every 2 national and local daily newspapers sold in Britain
-Today, 7 💪 individuals dominate the ownership of British national daily and Sunday newspapers
Trends in ownership and control
Recent trends suggest that the n. of companies controlling 🌎 mass media has significantly ⬇︎ in recent years.
Media ownership and control in the UK - Content of commercial terrestrial television is mainly controlled by 1 company
ITV plc,
access to satellite, cable and digital television in Britain is generally controlled by two companies
Sky and Virgin Media
recent direct competition with ITV, Sky and Virgin.
Streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus (have more recently started to run advertiser funded subscriptions)
Global conglomeration
The ⬆︎ difference in media ownership and control compared with 40 yrs ← = the movement of media corporations into the 🌎 marketplace.
The ⬆︎ media companies are now 🌎 conglomerations – TNCs with a presence in many countries.
horizontal integration / cross media ownership
the fact that 🌎 media corporations often cross media boundaries and invest in a ←→ range of media products
Example of horizontal integration
NewsCorp = owns 🗞️, magazines, 📚 publishers, terrestrial and 🛰️ television channels and film studios in several countries.
vertical integration
Some media companies have focused on ↑ economic control over all aspects of the production process in order to maximise profits, e.g. film corporations not only make movies, but distribute them to their own cinema chains
Diversification
Some media corporations are not content to focus on media products, but have diversified into other fields
Best example of diversification
Virgin : began as a 🎶 label and record shop chain, but has expanded into a wide range of products and services including cola, vodka, banking, insurance, transport, digital television, cinema and wedding dresses.
synergy
