Ownership and control of the media: Flashcards
What are formal limitations on the media?
The law
Ofcom
BBC
IPSO
How does the law restrict the media?
laws of libel: forbid publication of an untrue statement about a person which might bring him or her into contempt, ridicule, dislike or hostility in society
-the racial and religious hatred act and equality act: forbid the expression of opinions which will encourage the hatred or discrimination of people against their ethnicity or religion
How does Ofcom regulate the media?
powerful media regulator, tv, radio etc. people can complain if they are unhappy with what is on show - Strictly Come Dancing, 2 males were reported!
How does the BBC restrict the media?
BBC is a state funded independent body that needs to remain impartial as they are paid by the taxpayer, the monarch chooses its broadcasters. It does not need to dramatize as they do not need the funding. partly regulated by ofcom.
Independent broadcasters:
regulated by ofcom, non BBC television and radio presenters, licenses the companies which can operate in the private sector. need advertisement etc
How does IPSO regulate the media?
independent regulator for newspapers and magazines, established by newspaper industry itself. replaced the PCC which was discredited following the Levison Enquiry. IPSO seeks to monitor and maintain the standards of the editors code, investigates complaints. fairly new body, need to see effectiveness
How does the government influence and control media output?
through government officials press conferences that present the official government position on contemporary issues, can control time and day, and can control which journalists are present - covid conferences
leaks and off the record briefings - from a source close to the government said, informal briefings, journalists give preferential treatment to the gov. in hopes that they will get privileged information in the future
spin doctors can try to manipulate the media to provide a favourable slant to something negative by turning it positive or they try to bury bad news by releasing a better story, or releasing it during a holiday period as media audiences are on holiday - Tony Blairs spin doctor.
How is the media owned?
concentrated in the hands of a few individuals, who are interested in making profits - bagdikian named them the lords of the global village. 86% are controlled by 4 companies. Rupert murdock - News of the World, - Sun, The times. Lords of the global village dominated the worlds mass media
Features of media ownership include:
Technological convergence
Horizontal integration
Vertical integration
global conglomeration
What is technological convergence?
technologies that were originally unrelated to become more closely integrated and even unified as they develop and advance an iphone can record, stream, listen to music, communicate etc
What is horizontal integration?
One company grows its operations at the same level in an industry, newspapers, films, music, example: disney bought pixar
What is vertical integration?
one company owning several newspapers, own film production and distribution of the cinema - for example rupert murdoch owns news corp who owns films and tv studios and sky so own the programme and the facilities to make them - transmits views
what is global conglomeration?
Where companies in one country buy up companies in other countries. News Corp, for example, owns media outlets in several different countries.
What is synergy?
Where a media product is sold in several different forms – often as a form of marketing. For example, a company produces a film for cinema, then a DVD, a T.V. spin off series, a sound track for download, maybe a cartoon strip and some action figures too.
What do the pluralist approach believe about media?
pluralist approach - media is generally free, can present any viewpoints they have. journalists have professional modesty, they are not biased stories to manipulate the audience, free to have a pick and mix approach. spread out among diverse competing interest groups, and not concentrated in the hands of a minority economic elite, as Marxists suggests. journalists are free from direct control, providing audiences with the content they want. They thus see media content as determined mainly by consumer demand. different media companies must compete for customers, and so they must provide the kind of content those customers want in order to make a profit and survive. If a company fails to provide the kind of news and entertainment that people need and want, customers will simply stop buying their media products and go elsewhere . Media content lies with the consumers, public dont want one sided biased media. Owners do not have time to have personal involvement. owners have the power to appoint editors, not everyone has equal values, share middle class background, want profit not likely to be critical and independent, want to keep their job.
What do the manipulative approach believe about media?
media owners control media content, keeps audience passive, narrow and biased as it reflects the views of the media owners, gov does not regulate media content as they are ruling class - Margaret Thatcher and Rupert Murdoch. media moguls, self censor work to fit editors needs. middle class lifestyles, dragons den and the apprentice, dismiss extremist views, negative portrayal of ethnic minorities, audience are passive and take media at face value, all of murdochs 175 newspapers supported iraq war. cant put in input on a day to day basis, not as passive as we think, new media!
What do the hegemonic approach believe about media?
mass media spreads a dominant ideology legitimising the power of the ruling class, media owners are rarely involved in the day to day running of the companies, editors are socialised to share their view to pass on ideology, more likely to be white middle class - cultural hegemony 50% went to private schools,agenda setting - story they want to create how it will be framed etc who will be invited, gatekeeping - which items are selected focus at violence at riots, rather than reason for protesting, underestimate significance of owner, new media, audience do have choice
