Media Topic 1 - Ownership & Control Flashcards
What does ‘the media’ refer to?
The technology, institutions, organizations, and products related to mass communication
Includes television, press, cinema, broadcasting, advertising, and various forms of content like news and films.
What characterizes traditional media?
Communicated uniform messages that were non-interactive delivered to large mass audiences
Examples include terrestrial TV channels, radio stations, and newspapers.
What is the ‘new media’?
Media that is interactive, screen-based, and offers a variety of content choices
Includes social media, streaming services, and digital television.
List examples of new media.
- Social media sites (e.g., Facebook, TikTok)
- Streaming video/audio files
- Digital/satellite TV
- Online gaming
- Mobile apps
What is the average time spent watching TV in the UK in 2022?
158 minutes per day
What is a significant statistic regarding TikTok by the end of 2024?
Expected to reach 1.8 billion monthly active users
What concern arises from media shaping public opinion?
The power of the media to influence our lives and identities
True or False: The media is entirely free to report anything in the UK.
False
There are formal controls such as laws and regulations.
What is Ofcom?
The Office of Communications, established to regulate media in the UK
What is the role of the BBC?
A state-funded body that regulates itself through the BBC Trust, funded by license fees
What does IPSO stand for?
Independent Press Standards Organization
What was the Leveson Inquiry about?
Investigating phone hacking by journalists and proposing changes to media regulation
What is government ‘spin’ in media?
Manipulating media narratives to present a favorable view of the government
What is one method governments use to control media content?
Refusing broadcasting licenses to unsuitable entities
Who are the five billionaires that reportedly own 80% of UK media?
- Rupert Murdoch
- Richard Desmond
- Viscount Rothermere
- The Barclay Brothers
Define ‘media mogul’.
An individual who owns a significant share of a media company
What is vertical integration in media ownership?
Concentration of ownership within a single medium
What does horizontal integration refer to?
Media owners having interests in various types of media
What is synergy in media companies?
Producing and promoting a product across multiple media formats
What is the Marxist view of media?
Media can manufacture audience perceptions and promote dominant ideologies
What does ‘preferred reading’ refer to?
The interpretation of media messages that producers want audiences to adopt
What is ideological state apparatus according to Althusser?
Agencies like media that induce a false consciousness among the masses
What did Miliband (1973) argue about media professionals?
They operate within boundaries set by media owners, leading to biased reporting
What do Neo-Marxists emphasize in media studies?
The cultural aspects of class conflict rather than purely economic factors
What is cultural hegemony?
The acceptance of ruling class norms and values as common sense
True or False: Journalists always share the political views of media owners.
False
This is debated among traditional and Neo-Marxist theorists.
What percentage of top journalists in Britain are privately educated?
51%
This contrasts sharply with only 7% of the general population being privately educated.
What percentage of top journalists attended comprehensive schools?
19%
This is compared to 90% of their readers who attended comprehensive schools.
What is the definition of Pluralism in the context of media?
A theory of the distribution of political power that holds that power is widely and evenly dispersed in society.
What do Pluralists argue about media moguls and press barons?
They argue that these figures do not control media content and that journalists maintain ethics and integrity.
According to Pluralists, who controls media consumption?
The audience
They believe audiences actively choose what to consume, influencing media companies.
What do Postmodernists say about media choice?
There has been an increase in choice, greater than ever before.
What is media saturation according to Postmodernism?
A condition where people are exposed to media messages all day, making it impossible for individual owners or editors to control content.
What term describes the process of declining serious news reporting in media?
Tabloidization
This refers to the replacement of serious news with more simplified content.
What do Barnett and Weymour argue regarding media choice?
That despite many channels, there is not really greater choice; it’s often the same content presented differently.
What is the main critique of Marxists regarding audience choice?
They argue that audiences are manipulated and do not make free choices.
Fill in the blank: Pluralists view mass media as crucial for a modern _______.
liberal democracy
What do Levene’s views on social media suggest?
People can use platforms to express their own narratives, controlling media instead of being controlled by it.
What does the term ‘counter-hegemony’ refer to in the context of media?
Narratives that oppose or challenge the dominant media narratives.
True or False: Pluralists believe that editors and journalists are manipulated by media owners.
False
What did Curran et al. (2009) find in their content analysis of media?
Media were becoming more market-oriented and entertainment-centered, leading to less serious journalism.
