MEDIA - What is Manipulative / Instrumental Marxism and their View on the Media?

Question 1

TRUE OR FALSE: Manipulative and Instrumental Marxism are DIFFERENT!

Answer 1

FALSE: Manipulative and Instrumental Marxism are the SAME!

Question 2

What are the 2 things that Manipulative / Instrumental Marxism does? HINT: I and C

Answer 2

INFLUENCE and CONTROL!

Question 3

Explain what Manipulative / Instrumental Marxism does!

Answer 3

They control and influence someone’s view - They do what they want by force and they control and influence people!

Question 4

What is the definition of Dominant Ideology?

Answer 4

A set of ideas about society that are used to justify a particular set of interests.

Question 5

What is the definition of Preferred Reading?

Answer 5

When the audience responds to the ideas in the way the media producer wants them to.

Question 6

What sociologist argues: ‘Media owners manipulative what is produced to justify class inequality. They discourage / oppose criticisms of the capitalist system’?

Answer 6

Miliband!

Question 7

(MILIBAND) What does Miliband argue regarding the control of media moguls and their influence and also describe what the ‘preferred or dominant reading’ in society creates?

Answer 7

He argues that media moguls control, manipulate and promote the dominant ideology. He says that preferred or dominant reading tries to create a general consensus of agreement. The belief in meritocratic society and that if people are failing or are unhappy, it is because they have not worked hard enough!

Question 8

(MILIBAND) What does MIliband say happens to people who discredit the media?

Answer 8

They say that anyone who opposes the media, they are seem as ‘unreasonable’ and ‘extreme’; they are discredited by the media moguls!

Question 9

(MILIBAND) What 2 means does Miliband say that the media has in society?

Answer 9

• Create and complete or distort views
• Ignore, attack and dismiss anything that threatens the dominant ideology and their narrative

Question 10

(MILIBAND) TRUE OR FALSE: Miliband says that journalists have a LOT of CHOICE, and they DO NOT have to CONFORM TO the OWNERS VIEWS’.

Answer 10

FALSE = Miliband says that journalists have a NO CHOICE, and they DO have to CONFORM TO the OWNERS VIEWS’ –> Otherwise they risk being fired!

Question 11

(MILIBAND) Why does the media create a Climate of Conformity in society?

Answer 11

He says that the media creates this climate, as it justifies the rule of the rich and powerful (the bourgeoisie) and reitterates the false class consciousness!

Question 12

(MILIBAND) Give a positive presentation of the wealthy in society!

Answer 12

The Royal Family!

Question 13

(MILIBAND) Explain what happened in regards to Julian Assange, the owner of Wiki Leaks.

Answer 13

He challenged the ideology by sharing footage of 18 civilians in a airstrike in Baghdad by US soldiers and information about civilians being killed by Iraqi forces and the torture of criminals → He has been pursued, discredited, targeted and jailed by media moguls.

Question 14

(MILIBAND) Explain what happened in regards to Berlusconi, in terms of him being able to manipulate the media!

Answer 14

He has a lot of control in Italy, including owning 3 TV stations (40% of the entire Italian audience - Mediaset Empire; overall, he holds an influence around 90% of the national audience and advertising shares); net worth of $7.1 billion, and he used his media to get himself elected as President → He used the media to control and manipulate to get his own way.

Question 15

(MILIBAND) Explain the example of Rupert Murdoch in 2003, in regards the manipulating and producing a Climate of Conformity!

Answer 15

Seaton and Curran go against the PLURALIST perspective and say that media owners INFLUENCE content:

• His newspapers were arguing for a war in Iraq
• All his newspaper editors around the world backed him
• He admitted in 2007 that he had ‘hands on economically and editorially’ - He paid editors and influenced them on what to write (ILLEGAL)

The media creates a climate of conformity amongst the mass of the population, which justified the rule of the rich and powerful (the bourgeoisie).

Question 16

What 2 sociologists say that ‘Media representations of ethnic minorities aim to distract and divide the working class’?

Answer 16

Castles and Kosack!

Question 17

(CASTLES AND KOSACK) What do they say in terms of the use of the media to DIVIDE the working-class and other groups, such as ethnic-minorities in society?

Answer 17

They say that the ruling class can MANIPULATE the media to DIVIDE the WORKING-CLASS –> They target the proletariat and put them against the proletariat = This means that if they fight each other, they do not fight those in power!

Question 18

(CASTLES AND KOSACK) What do Castles and Kosack say the main role of the media is? HINT: DISTRACTION!

Answer 18

The media DISTRACTS the working-class from the real cause of inequality, which is the exploitative capitalist system itself!

It suits the capitalist system to ensure that the white, working-class see ethnic minorities as a ‘threat’, as seen with the use of the headlines ‘Stop the Boats’!

Question 19

(CASTLES AND KOSACK) Give some examples of TV Programmes that are used to distract people in the media. HINT: Give as many examples as you can; there are 4 examples here!

Answer 19

• Jeremy Kyle
• Benefits Street
• Crime programmes that focus on ethnic-minority crime –> This creates fear for white, working-class people and creates a distorted view on who commits crime
• Rich House, Poor House

Question 20

(CASTLES AND KOSACK) What percentages of respondents share deep concerns about the impact of the media’s portrayal of minorities?

Answer 20

Around 78% (80%) of respondents –> This shows that media coverage of ethnic minority Britons ‘promotes racism’ within the country!

Question 21

(CASTLES AND KOSACK) Give an example of a headline recently used in British newspapers that alienates ethnic-minority people and villianises them!

Answer 21

‘Stop and the Boats’ and headlines in papers like The Sun and broadsheets!

Society blames the immigrants themselves and not spending cuts or other issues! How well does the media portray both refugee immigrants and illegal immigrants; they present illegal immigrants as being a large issue!

Question 22

(CASTLES AND KOSACK) Who is Alexandra Bell and explain what she does? HINT: Re-writing titles of newspapers

Answer 22

She is a journalist who re-writes titles of the New York Times in order to get rid of subliminal messaging and highlight the way that different words are used to speak about people of different races → Negative connotations and words for ethnic minorities, but positive connotations and words for white, middle-class people → Restorative justice!

EG: The New York Times put white supremacist rallies and violence as a side-piece and not a main front page issue → They were not giving space to issues and problem regarding white offenders! Indictment of the readers → Bell has a different vantage point because she of her characteristics and background (such as her being gay and also black; this is opposite to the usual Marxist perspective from old, straight, white men).

Question 23

What ‘Frankfurt School of Thought’ Sociologist investigates the working-class being controlled by ‘Bread and Circuses’ and the idea that the media is entertainment to keep them docile?

Answer 23

Marcuse

Question 24

(MARCUSE) Explain the ‘Bread’ and ‘Circuses’ Analogy!

Answer 24

We need bread to keep us alive (the staple) and we need circuses to keep us distracted (entertainment)!

Question 25

(MARCUSE) Explain how entertainment (the ‘circuses’) provides a ‘candy-floss culture’!

Answer 25

The media gives us superficial entertainment (‘candy-floss culture’) which is used to satisfy populations so they are distracted and diverted from the real issues in society, such as the causes of poverty; these keep people happy whilst also being docile and ignorant.

Question 26

(MARCUSE) Give a summary of what he says that the media (entertainment) does to the working-class! HINT: Links to Bowles and Gintis and the Correspondence Principle!

Answer 26

Media (entertainment) to keep the working-class docile!

Question 27

(MARCUSE) Linking to Miliband’s Study, what happens to people who offer ‘alternative’ views that oppose the mainstream (middle and upper-class) hegemonic views? HINT: Discredited!

Answer 27

The media ensures that members in society only get a narrow range of ‘approved’ views and knowledge; ‘alternative’ and critical points are rarely heard and they are often dismissed or discredited!

Question 28

(MARCUSE) What examples of TV programmes can you give in regards to keeping the working-class ‘docile’? HINT: Name as many as you can; there are 4 here!

Answer 28

• I’m A Celebrity
• Love Island
• Made in Chelsea
• Jeremy Kyle

Question 29

What 2 sociologists argue that: “The government are not interested in regulating the media as they need their support”?

Answer 29

Tunstall and Palmer!

Question 30

(TUNSTALL AND PALMER) What do they argue regarding the government’s control - Do they argue that it has DECREASED or INCREASED?

Answer 30

They argue that governments are NO LONGER INTERESTED IN CONTROLLING the activities of media owners because the CLASS INTERESTS OF MEDIA OWNERS and the POLITICAL ELITE OFTEN OVERLAP –> Their control has DECREASED BECAUSE their IDEOLOGIES OFTEN OVERLAP and are SIMILAR!

Question 30

(TUNSTALL AND PALMER) What are ‘Regulatory Favours’?

Answer 30

They say that ‘regulatory favours’ are the norm = These are newspapers that are owned by a media conglomerate that directly support a government OR directly criticise their policy!

Question 31

(TUNSTALL AND PALMER) Why do Media Conglomerates often partake in ‘Regulatory Favours’?

Answer 31

They often partake in these because the government in power has either supported them by not enforcing and strengthening media regulation OR they criticise the government in hope that they will abolish media regulation –> That’s why they are called ‘Regulatory FAVOURS’!

Question 32

(TUNSTALL AND PALMER) Give some examples of the government no longing being interested in regulating the media, due to the support they get from media conglomerates! HINT: Give as many examples as you can; there are 3 here!

Answer 32

• Thatcher allowed Rupert Murdoch to purchase over the allowed amount of industry in one area; she allowed him to buy the Sunday Times and the Times and expand his empire into investing in TV with B SKY B!
• The Sun backing Blair in the 1997 Election –> Blair ‘repaid’ Murdoch by telling him about the Iraq War invasion in 2003 the night before the war started!
• The Sun backing David Cameron in 2010 - They did not stay loyal to one party; this is because Cameron would reduce media regulation!

Question 33

(TUNSTALL AND PALMER) Explain what the Leveson Inquiry in 2012 was!

Answer 33

This Inquiry uncovered a range of links between media owners and governments and phone hacking! Media support was given to political parties in return for policies in favour of owners.

This happened to people like Hugh Grant and other actors / people!

Question 34

What did Curran say regarding the Leveson Inquiry (2012)?

Answer 34

They said that there have not been changes in the media since the Inquiry was made!

Question 35

How many meetings happened between Tory Cabinet MPs and News Corp between May 2010 and June 2011?

Answer 35

64 (around 70) Meetings!

Question 36

What are the 5 Criticisms of the Manipulative / Instrumental Marxist Approach? HINT: Some are from the Pluralist perspective!

Answer 36

1. Owners are more concerned with PROFITS. Therefore, they give the audience what they want so they sell more papers - it has nothing to do with ideology → PLURALIST APPROACH!
2. Ownership is REGULATED, so dominance of one ideology or newspaper company is difficult. HOWEVER → Think about Thatcher changing the law so that Murdoch could own more newspaper companies → PLURALIST APPROACH!
3. The Manipulative / Instrumentalist Approach is TOO DETERMINISTIC - Not all audiences are passive. Gramsci - They state that most people experience ‘dual consciousness’; people know they are being exploited, but they just do not do anything about it. People know that the media is sending them specific and targeted messages, but they do not do anything about it!
4. Instrumental Marxists are ECONOMIC REDUCTIONISTS - They are too concerned with class inequalities and reduce everything down to being a problem with capitalism → Feminists say that they ignore the role of patriarchy. They also ignore other factors, such as age, ethnicity etc!
5. Most evidence of conspiracy is anecdotal and does not actually have any research - It is based on a feeling without any proof!

Question 37

What are 2 Mnemonics to remember for the Criticisms of the Manipulative / Instrumental Approach?

Answer 37

CAP RAD DUDE:

C = Class / Capitalism
A = Anecdotal
P = Profits

R = Regulated
A = Anecdotal
D = Deterministic

D = Deterministic
U = IGNORE
D = Deterministic
E = Economic Reductionalists

CARPE Diem:

C = Class / Capitalism
A = Anecdotal
R = Regulated
P = Profits
E = Economic Reductionalists

D = Deterministic