ownership and control Flashcards
What is media?
Media is the collective term for means of mass communication
What is the print media?
Newspapers, ads on billboards, product packaging
What is the audio visual media?
Films, tv,videogames
What is the cyber and digital media?
Youtube, WhatsApp, Facebook,Instagram , blogs , emails, websites
What is concentration of media ownership?
Small amount of people who own all media companies or multiple ownerships in one country
What is horizontal integration?
When a company owns multiple media outlets at same level of production to dominate the industry and have more influence
E.G TV Company owns multiple TV Channels
Disney owns marvel , star wars and pixar
Rupert Murdoch owns multiple newspapers
What is vertical integration?
When a company owns different stages of production and distribution to give them more power over how content is made delivered and sold and don’t have to rely on other businesses so profits stay within the company
E.G A film studio owns a cinema chain or streaming platform
Netflix producing own shows and movies and streaming them
What is lateral expansion?
Media companies expand their businesses into new areas in order to spread risk
What is global conglomeration?
A rise of large media TNCs who tend to control dozens of media companies with presence in multiple countries
What is synergy?
Media conglomerates market their production in many different ways to maximize profit
What is technological convergence?
Putting several media technologies into one media product
What is a TNC?
A large co operation that owns a large number of media companies
What is the pluralist view of the media?
See media as essential part of modern democratic society as they inform the electorate about a range of different views from political parties and interest groups to help them make informed decisions at elections
What do pluralists say about economics of media ownership outweighing political bias?
If they did not satisfy consumers, media companies would go out of business so they need to keep up with consumer needs
Audience have the most power
What do pluralists say about the media mirrors public view?
Range of media products available so media is extremely diverse and all of society are catered for
If some viewpoints have greater media representation it is not biased but just mirroring what the audience wants to see
What do pluralists say about public service broadcasters ensuring quality?
Public service broadcasters such as BBC provide a well respected service
They have a legal obligation to inform educate and entertain
What do pluralists say about state control prevents over concentration?
Pluralists argue power of media owners is restricted by government controls such as OFCOM
Also completion regulators prevent any single media company owning a disproportionate share to stop excessive power
What do pluralists say about journalists being too professional to be biased?
Pluralists argue that journalists and editors are too professional to be biased and would not let owners compromise their independence
They argue journalists have a strong tradition of investigating and targeting those in power and often expose corruption
What are the strengths of pluralist view A03 ?
1) Treats audience members as active consumers rather than passive puppets who are brainwashed by the media
2) Consumers can get range of views from hundreds of different sources and a range of different reporting styles
3) Most media outlets are businesses so they have to be responsive to audience to make profit
What are the criticisms of the pluralist view AO3 ?
1) Marxists would argue owners ability to hire and fire affects media content as journalists often self censor controversial issues in order to win editors over and gain promotions
2) Feminists argue that media content is male orientated and limits female voices as feminist views are often presented as threatening towards journalists
3)Marxists and Neo Marxists would argue that the media censor certain points of view as powerless groups do not have resources to communicate their point of view and such views are often censored as too extreme by media professionals
What is the Instrumental Marxist view of the media?
Sees media owners as having a powerful effect on media output, using their influence to shape how the audience think about the world they live in encouraging them to accept class inequality
What is Instrumental Marxist Miliband 1973 view of media?
Says that rather than reflecting views and wishes of the audience, he see media as an ideological instrument used to transmit ruling class ideology
What do Instrumental Marxist say about portrayal of ethnic minorities?
Media tends to portray ethnic minorities as criminals, migrants and extremists in order to divide and rule the WC
What does Castles and Kosack say about Instrumental Marxist portrayal of ethnic minorities?
They argue it suits the RC for the white WC to view ethnic minorities as a threat as it distracts them from the true cause of opression which is the Capitalist system
What do Instrumental Marxists say about bread and circuses?
Instrumental Marxists argue that media ensure audience have access to only a narrow range of approved views and knowledge whilst critical viewpoints are squashed
They are distracted through bread and circuses approach where people are kept docile and happy through constant stream of entertainment
What do Instrumental Marxists say about the opium of the people?
Media has replaced religion in society as media reduces people suffering but also keeps them passive and stops them rebelling
What do Instrumental Marxists say about elite interests?
Marxists argue that media transmit capitalist ideology as media owners are part of RC so want to protect their wealth and status
How does evidence of Silvio Berlusconi support the Instrumental Marxist view?
He was billionaire owning shares in in biggest TV broadcasting company in Italy and used 3 TV channels to launch a massive election advertising campaigns which helped him win 1994 election and become prime minister with no prior political experience but served as PM in Italy 4 times
How can evidence from recent events of Silvio Berlusconi be used to counter argue the Instrumental Marxist view of crime? A03
2013 - tax fraud so he was banned for 6 years so there are still some legal limits on power and influence of media owners
How does evidence of Curran Seaton 2010 support Instrumental Marxist view?
Curran Seaton suggests newspaper owners do interfere with newspaper content
RUPERt MURDOCH - He supported war in Iraq in all 175 News Corps so his influence on publications such as The Sun and Fox News has been influential in Brexit referendum result
What is a strength of Instrumental Marxists? AO3
Pluralists would say the rise of new media has allowed ordinary people to hold the powerful to account, limiting the power of ruling class owners
What are the criticisms of Instrumental Marxists? AO3
1) Research about owners manipulation of content seems to be opinion rather than on systematic evidence
2) Feminists say it focus only on how media ownership relates to class inequality, overlooking the role of media in transmitting patriarchy
3) Neo Marxists say the idea that media creates false class consciousness is exaggerated as many experience poverty and inequality and are unlikely to be truly duped by the media
What is the Neo Marxist view of media ?
All Neo-Marxist theories reject the idea of ‘economic determinism.’
They argue the RC need more than economic power to keep control. They argue the use of ideas is equally, if not more, important
What is hegemony?
The economic, social and cultural domination of the RC
How does Neo Marxist explanation of economic pressures mean that controversial views tend not to be published in the media?
This is mainly motivated by profit rather than capitalist ideologies. If journalists offend or upset the audience and put them off watching/reading, they will lose money from advertising. Therefore journalists will ‘play it safe’ as they are motivated by profit
What does Gramsci say about Neo Marxist view of crime?
Owning means of production is not enough for RC to hold power in society - Neo marxists reject economic determinism
What is economic determinism?
the idea that economic factors are the main influence on how media is structured and what content it produces e.g. that those with the most money hold the most power and therefore influence the media content
Explain the Neo Marxist term agenda setting
Journalists decide what issues are discussed and which are avoided
How do Neo Marxists explain agenda setting power of the media help continue ruling class hegemony?
Results in RC cultural hegemony because ordinary people never question capitalist society or principles like private property and profit
What is Neo Marxist Jones 2015 view on media being part of British establishment?
Sees media owners, editors, journalists as part of the establishment and audience of unaccountable powerful groups with common interests and views
Journalists turn a blind eye to corruption and greed in the establishment and instead demonize behavior of poor such as benefit claimants or immigrants
What are the strengths of Neo Marxist approach to media?
1) Useful for explaining why a lot of media content is aimed at middle classes and why controversial points are excluded
2) Unlike Instrumental Marxism it does not exaggerate the role of media owners in the day running of media companies
What are the limitations of Neo Marxist approach to media?
1) It relies on concepts such as ideology which are vague and subjective
2) Feminists argue it overlooks that the media agenda is mainly set by men in particular
3) Pluralists argue that new media has given ordinary people the power to try to change the establishment
What do Postmodernists argue about globalisation transforming countries?
Globalisation has transformed countries such as UK in a number of ways from media saturation, globalisation , and relativism
How do Postmodernists explain relativism?
People no longer have faith in absolute truth in the modern world.
People are scepticisme about power of science, politics or media to change the world.
Therefore absolute truth is unattainable and irrelevant in the modern world and postmodernists stress relativity of knowledge and ideas
This means all ideas contain element of truth
How do Postmodernists explain media saturation?
Refers to extremely high levels of exposure to the media and is a defining characteristic of postmodern society
How do Postmodernists explain globalisation?
Postmodern societies and shaped by globalization and media conglomerates have improved communications to remove distinctions between global and local cultures
Increased the range of media available to consumers
What is one reason Postmodernists can no longer claim owners editors and journalists spread a particular view? ( H )
Hyper reality where users are confused between what is real and unreal e.g social media influencers
What does Postmodernists Baudrillard say about hyperreality?
In postmodern society audiences are bombarded with so much information that lines between fact and fiction are blurred so it is harder for audiences to put across their own view of the world as audiences are bombarded with so much information they may be skeptical if things are real
What is another reason Postmodernists can no longer claim owners editors and journalists spread a particular view? ( P )
Polysemic messages where messages may be interpreted in many different ways
As postmodern society is characterized by a diverse range of views and lack of consensus of norms and values,media ideas may be interpreted in different ways making it difficult for any one view to dominate
What is the last reason Postmodernists can no longer claim owners editors and journalists spread a particular view? ( B )
Blurring the lines between media producers and media consumers
It is no longer only conglomerates who can produce media as users can now create their own media content so there is an abundance of views set across the new media
What does Postmodernist Levene 2007 say about meta-narrative?
Observes that members of society have greater access and choice from the diversity of the media so can now reject meta narratives proposed by powerful media owners
What are the criticisms of Postmodernism? AO3
1) Postmodernists probably exaggerate the extent to which the new media can help ordinary people to bring about change as ordinary people cannot challenge multi billion dollar conglomerates
2) Postmodernists overlook overwhelming evidence of inequality in wealth and power which makes it more difficult for powerless groups to bring about change and whether they can access the media or not, and overlooks significant number of people without internet access
3) It tends to overlook the fact that other structural factors such as gender , age and ethnicity make effect the way in which people access the media e.g older people cannot access smartphones easily
