paper 2 Flashcards
traditional media
single mode of communication (tv) to a mass audience
one > many
new media
the emergence of new forms of communication that have appeared in the last 25 years including: smartphone technology, laptops and digital tv
the power of the media
BAUMAN 2007
suggests during that last 30 years more info has been produced in the world that the last 5000yrs
control of the media
2010 equality act - forbid opinions against ethnicity/religion
laws of libel - forbids untrue statements
ofcom media regulator
IPSO (newspaper)
govt’s influence and control of media output
leaks/off-the-record briefings reported ‘sources close to the govt said’
refusal to issue broadcasting licences to those deemed unfit
press conferences provide official govt position on issue
media and ideology (marxism)
acts as a ISA -
induces a false consciousness about people’s real interests
+ everyone benefits from the present organisation of society (presented as fair)
instrumentalist/manipulative view of media owners/content
directly control media content and manipulate the audience
spreads dom ideology
instrumentalist/manipulative view of managers + journalists
limited by what owners tell them to do
curran + seaton - media owners did interfere + manipulate content (at the expense of journalists) to protect their interests.
instrumentalist/manipulative view of audiences
passive audience who unquestioningly swallow the readings and interpretations
instrumentalist/manipulative view - CRITICISMS
state regulates media so no one person/company have too much control.
audiences not gullible/manipulative - may reject interpretations fed to them
pluralists/neophilliacs - growth of cit journ give power to ordinary people to give their turn of events
dominant/hegemonic approach view on media + ownership
media spread dom ideology legitimizing the power of ruling class
owners - dont have direct control but some influence
hegemony
dominance + acceptance of ruling class - other classes are persuaded to accept beliefs and form consensus that becomes part of everyday common sense.
dominant/hegemonic approach view on Glasgow Media Group
white male journalists - white-centric view (limited views and opinions)
encouraged to think about some events more than others
media content spread dom ideology - doesn’t include some critical content that helps attract an audience, make money for owner and appear as if there is diversity
dominant/hegemonic approach - CRITICISMS
underrate power and influence of owners - journalists career are dependant on approval of stories.
agenda setting/gatekeeping = little choice of media content - manipulation
dominant/hegemonic approach - CRITICISMS (pluralist)
the rise of new globalised digital media has put controls of new media content into the hands of media users
pluralism (media)
view that power in society is spread among interests groups and individuals
pluralist approach - media owners
have no control and a wide range of competing interests
pluralist approach - media content
driven by consumers, not owners and media needs to be responsive
pluralist approach - media managers and journalists
high independence as long as they attract audiences and make a profit
pluralist approach - media audiences
they’re active pick ‘n’ mix approach and new media allows anyone to share and publish their ideas.
pluralist approach CRITICISMS
whilst having freedom - work within constraints placed on them by owners.
media owners appoint editors and top managers who have a similar outlook of the world
neophiliacs
welcome new technology because they think it offers consumers more choice.
argue new media is good for democracy - people can monitor and criticise activities of the powerful and organise protests via social media.
increased consumer choice
(neophiliac)
convergence and interactivity that characterise media technology have increased consumer choice. e.g. people may choose to buy music in cd form of download.
increased consumer choice
(pluralist neophiliacs)
argue competition between this diversity of media will improve the quality of media output.
e-commerce
(neophiliac)
claimed e-commerce trend has resulted in more choice for consumers because it increases competition - leads to lower prices and consumer control (can compare prices)
revitalising democracy
(neophiliac)
new media technologies offer opportunities for people to get the education / info needed to play an active role in democratic societies - make politicians more accountable to the people.
revitalising democracy - the internet
(neophiliac)
allows like-minded people to join together and take action which may lead to social change.
anti-global capitalism movement have used the Internet to challenge the power of international capitalism.
the internet has been used in a variety of political ways:
(neophiliac)
- to monitor illegal/ immoral activities of big businesses
- to harness mass support for causes (make poverty history)
- coordinate protesters and activists
cultural pessimists
argue new media is problematic because they are leading to cultural illiteracy, dumbing down of popular culture and the decline in community.
revolution in new media technology has been exaggerated by neophiliacs
cultural pessimists (democratic process)
argues democratic potential of new media is exaggerated - such forms of media are bought up by media corporations that own older forms of media (news/tv)
cornford and robins (1999)
(‘not so new’ media - cultural pessimist)
- new media is not that new
- old technology (tv, landlines) is still integral to the use of new media (game consoles)
cornford and robins (1999)
interactivity is not something new
- the only thing thats new about NM is speed information
- news and entertainment can be accessed in ‘real time’ e.g. 9/11
cornford and robins (1999)
what new technologies permit
- the refinement, extension and embellishment of traditional media.
- suggest the relationship of new and old media as ‘being like that between an old hollywood movie and its remake’
domination by media conglomerates (cultural pessimists)
criticise the idea that new media is increasing the potential for people to participate more in the democratic process / cultural life.
role of transnational media conglomerates
(cultural pessimists)
argues that the role of transnational media conglomerates in the development and control of the new media undermines the potential for media democracy
Jenkins (2008)
(conglomertes)
(cultural pessimist)
- most new media has developed as a result of investment by the big media corporations.
- cross media ownership (1980s) was the first phase of media concentration / technological convergence.
Jenkins - media domination
(cultural pessimist)
- owning different types of media made it more desirable for companies to develop content across a variety of platforms.
- the internet is dominated by a smaller number of corporations - e.g. microsoft developed most of the software required to access the net.
commercialisation
(cultural pessimist)
The internet is now extremely commercialised.
over 10 years - major shift in internet activities from education to commercial use.
e.g. pay bills buy services (insurance) and consumer goods.
cornford and robins commercialisation
(cultural pessimist)
agree that these new technologies may produce more choice for the consumer - but also dubious side effects
e.g. many companies that see products and services on the internet engage in consumer surveillance.
consumer surveillance
(cultural pessimist)
technologies such as cookies monitor and process data generated by interactive media usage
so they can segment and target future audiences, thus enhance profits
marxist view on commercialisation
(cultural pessimist)
grown alarmed at this commercialisation of the internet, smartphones etc.
claim it encourges materialism, consumerism and false needs, thereby furthers capitalist domination and control
reinforcing elite power
(cultural pessimist)
Larger political parties/corporations have more money to spend on advertising to keep their biased information at the top of internet search engines.
Surveillance – the British security services had the technology to access the information stored on people’s smartphones.
cornford and robins - reinforcing elite power
(cultural pessimist)
were sceptical that new media will lead to a more democratic communications structure bringing about a new political and social order.
they note through (alliances, mergers, takeovers) media corporations seek to monopolise key strategic links within the new media.
Jenkins - reinforcing elite power
(cultural pessimist)
notes that not all the participants in the media are created equal.
corporations still exert greater power than any individual consumer or even groups of consumers.
decline in the quality of popular culture
(cultural pessimist)
argued that increased choice of media delivery systems has led to a decline in popular culture.
increased number of channels has led to the dumbing down of popular culture - tv companies fill these channels with cheap imported material, gambling, film repeats
popular culture
produced for a mass audience and enjoyed in masses - mainstream TV, pop music
easy simple entertainment
high culture
associated with lasting artistic value, seen as elite, ‘special’, respectable
national galleries
established literature - dickens/shakespeare
changing distinctions between PC and HC - postmodern
differences are weakening
frankfurt school of thought
PC is a form of social control - content is escapists, uncritical and dumbed-down
creates passive unthinking audiences
frankfurt school of thought - MARCUSE
mass culture undermines critical thought
a form of social repression as we’re compelled to conform
frankfurt school of thought - STRINATI
rejects mass culture views
there is no single mass culture and people choose what to consume
frankfurt school of thought - LIVINGSTONE 1998
soap opera writers see their role as an educator.
stories discuss rape, child abuse
controversies then dominate red-top tabloid press, promoting public discussion
global culture
increasingly similar products and ways of life around the globe
cultural homogenization
process whereby different cultures become uniform
news values and immediacy
stories more likely to be reported if they use news values and have a sense of immediacy.
aided by growth of citizen journalism (able to collect recorded material)
assumptions and activities of journalists
BECKER 1967
journalists operate within a hierarchy of credibility - attach the greatest importance to those in power (politicants, police)
hall et al calls these primary defenders
hall et al primary defenders
police, politicians etc
in a position to set the news agenda and influence journalists
assumptions and activities of journalists
tend to be middle class male - share the same interests as dom ideology. influences what they chose to include
to reduce time cost they use secondhand material without checking the facts
churnalism - DAVIES 2008
80% of stories in the time, daily mail and the guardian were fully, mainly or partially constructed from second hand material
the rise of churnalism
could be linked to pressure on producing material, time constraints, cutting costs, the ever-expanding news and 24 hour rolling cycle
media representations
categories and images that are used to present groups and activities to media audiences - may influence the way we think about them
media gaze
the way the media view society and represent it in media content
symbolic annihilation
under-representation of certain groups in media representations as they are condemned or trivialised in many roles
media representations GMG
representations and stereotypes are formed within the context of the dominant ideology of society
acts to justify existing patterns of inequality in wealth power and social class.
representations of youth (15-20)
negative stereotyping - rebellious, vandals
representations are led by news values = over exaggeration of deviant behaviours.
representations of youth (15-20)
COHEN 2002
young people are relatively powerless and an easily identifiable group to blame for societies ills
representations of older people
50+ often invisible by the media or presented in negative ways
(ill health, burden, forgetful)
representations of older people
WHITE ET AL 2012
negative stereotypes focus on incapacity, tendency to moan and reluctancy to move with the times
representations of older people
SZIGMIGIN & CARRIGN
grey pound
should expect to see more images of ageing people in adverts/campaigns
general class representations
m/c - over represented
w/c under represented
general class representations
MCKENDRICK ET AL 2008
poverty - marginal issue
journalists use this at a certain angle - only showing extreme newsworthy cases
highlight individual failings of undeserving people, rather than wider social causes
working class representations
white trash/scum
eastenders - romanticised w/c communities, drinking in the pub all day.
a source of trouble and conflict - lone parents, challenging delinquent children - challenging dom ideology
middle class representation
over represented (seen as the norm)
mature, sensible, educated, successful, well-functioning families
m/c vs w/c representations
positive m/c vs w/c representations is a product of the media gaze and this helps to justify the existing class structure and inequalities
upper class representations
rich, powerful, superior
influences newspapers and mass audiences leading to celeb gossip
EMG general representations
representations are filtered through the gaze of white m/c dominated media establishments
ghettoized and marginalised - usually included in specialised programmes such as dealing with discrimination
media stereotypes EMG
causing social problems - lone parents, illegal immigrants, welfare scroungers.
asylum seekers are portrayed as illegal workers, rather than escaping persecution
media want to cause moral panic from these stereotypes
islamophobia and the media
muslims have been demonised by the media - created moral panic in the 2000s.
full coverage of 9/11 - 91% of media talked negatively about muslims.
the work muslim becoming stigmatised identity
emg evaluations
GMG NEO-MARXISTS
point out the way negative media reps - created through white eyes of the media establishment and news values of journalists
reinforces racist stereotypes
emg changes
ABERCOMBIE 2011
more emg in soaps like eastenders, with lead roles and this is becoming part of ordinary society
hegemonic masculine
heterosexual
repression of emotions (except sports)
rational and practical
physically string
independence
hegemonic feminine
heterosexual
expression of emotions
reliance on men
physically weak
gender stereotypes
LEVESON 2012
tabloid press often fail to respect a women’s dignity, and so they tend to sexualise and demean women
general gender stereotypes
under-representation of women in the media industry - cannot break through the glass ceiling.
under rep of women in media content - men account for 84% of those mentioned in lead articles
social constructs of gender differences
CONNELL 2005
considers that gender identities are in part constructed
