Media Ownership - Instrumentalist / manipulative perspective

Question 1

Overarching ideas

Answer 1

• the media is used to manipulate and influence society’s way of thinking
• therefore, media ownership = very important
• link to Althusser (Marxist) and his ideas of the media being an ISA (Ideological State Apparatus - Media controls society’s way of thinking.

Question 2

Miliband - main idea

Answer 2

Media owners manipulate what is produced to justify class inequality.

They discourage the critique of capitalism

Question 3

Miliband - further detail

Answer 3

• Media moguls control and manipulate and promote the dominant ideology and preferred reading - (benefits those in power) - acts as a form of FCC
• Anyone who challenges the messages in the media is discredited - if you say anything against the state then the media will discredit you! - dig up and publish as much dirt on you as possible to ruin your reputation (no one will believe you) - As was the case with Julian Assange
• the media have the means to distort views and destroy and attack any alternative ideologies.
• Journalists have little choice but to conform to the ideologies and wishes of the owner (in fear of getting fired or discredited) - goes against pluralist idea of journalist professionalism
• Media creates a climate of conformity in society which justifies the rule of the rich and powerful - FCC

Question 4

Miliband’s argument against Pluralist idea of journalist professionalism

Answer 4

Journalists have little choice but to conform to the ideology of the owner (in fear of getting fired or being discredited)

Question 5

Example of the media discrediting someone who went against the state - (Miliband)

Answer 5

Julian Assange - published classified info about ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on to WikiLeaks (disagreed with the state and thought it should be public knowledge)
he was then pursued and discredited by the media and jailed as a result.

Question 6

Castles and Kosack - main idea

Answer 6

Media representation of ethnic minorities are used to distract the W/C from their exploitation and divide them.

Question 7

Castles and Kosack - further detail

Answer 7

• It suits capitalism for white w/c to view ethnic minorities as a threat
• They blame them for their shortcomings - not the capitalist system
• Distracts the working class from the real cause of inequality - capitalism
• Done to Divide and Distract the W/C

Question 8

Castles and Kosack - Examples of poor ethnic minority media representations

Answer 8

• Newspaper headlines and articles about immigrants & migrants from Ukraine (white) are a lot more sympathetic and kind than the ones used for immigrants and migrants from the Middle East
• 4/5 people in Britain think that the media promotes racism - challenges pluralist ideas of media being a democratic mirror.

Question 9

Argument against the pluralist idea of the media as a democratic mirror - (Castles and Kosack)

Answer 9

4/5 people in Britain think that the media promotes racism

this challenges the idea of the media being a democratic mirror

AS

It does not show what society want to see or represent their views.
It only shows the ideology that will maintain the capitalist system

Question 10

argument against Castles and Koosack - Evaluation

Answer 10

The development of digital convergence in the new media has allowed for citizen journalism

Citizen journalism was used to cover the death of George Floyd which highlighted the impact of racism and got society to emphasise with black community - not representing them as threats

Question 11

Marcuse - Main idea

Answer 11

The w/c is controlled by ‘bread and circuses’

the media is entertainment to keep them docile

Question 12

Marcuse - further detail

Answer 12

• The media control the w/c through ‘bread’ and ‘circuses’
• Circuses = entertainment
• Bread = what they really need
• The media provides enough entertainment to distract the w/c from what is really going on
• superficial entertainment (candy floss culture - Harvey) is used to satisfy the population and ensure they are diverted from the real issues going on in society (EG the causes of poverty) - their attention is focused on who will be voted out of I’m A Celeb next week - this keeps them happy and docile and ignorant (links to Althusser and ideology of media as an ISA to maintain a docile proletariat and prevent an uprising)
• This makes them easy to control - they are not aware so there can be no uprising - bourgeoisie maintain their power and wealth.

Question 13

Examples of the superficial entertainment (circuses) in the media

Answer 13

• Love Island
• I’m A Celeb
• The news (doesn’t cover the real issues and can manipulate the truth)

Question 14

What do ‘Bread and circuses’ refer to - Marcuse

Answer 14

Circuses = superficial entertainment used to distract w/c from real issues in society

Bread = what is really going on in society and what the w/c need to know about to ignite social change.

Question 15

Tunstall and Palmer - main idea

Answer 15

The government are not interested in regulating the media as they need their support

Question 16

Tunstall and Palmer - further detail

Answer 16

• The government need the support of the media and so keep them happy by not regulating them effectively
• Media support was given to political parties in return for policies that would benefit the media owners / moguls.
• The Leveson Enquiry (2012) - uncovered a range of links between media owners and the government.
• It is almost impossible for an individual to get elected without the support of the media - so the gov tend not to regulate the media very tightly - otherwise they will lose their support - this happened to John Major (not elected)
• Goes against pluralist ideology

Question 17

Example of Tunstall and Palmer’s ideology

Answer 17

John Major

claimed that we needed tighter regulation of the media

Lost the support of media owners (EG Rupert Murdock - who then turned to support Tony Blair Labour)

This resulted in Blair getting elected over Major

Question 18

How does Tunstall and Palmer’s Ideology go against Pluralist ideas

Answer 18

Pluralists = legislation and government intervention prevent one individual from owning too much of one industry and have laws which regulate the production, content and distribution of media products to protect society

Instrumentalist / manipulative (Tunstall and Palmer) = the government do not regulate the media as tightly as they should. Otherwise they will lose the support of the media and, subsequently, the public - Evidenced by John Major