Pluralist View - Ownership & Control Flashcards
Key Ideology
- Media owners are driven by profit
- Media content is determined by consumers and profit
- Journalists are free from direct control
- power in democratic, free market societies is spread out - not concentrated in the hands of the economic elite who hold a monopoly on power (Marxists)
Media content is driven by profit - Competing for customers
In democratic, free market societies different media companies must compete for customers
So they provide content that customers want
To make a profit and survive
If a company fails to provide the type of content that people need/want customers will simply stop buying their media products and go elsewhere.
Forces company out of business
EG Phone company Vertu
Media content is driven by profit - lack of owner control
Control over media content lies with consumers
Not the media owners/moguls
Because the owners need to adapt their content to fit the demands of the consumer
Argument against Traditional Marxist ideology that media owners control media content
Media Content is driven by profit - Primary Aim
Media owners primarily want to make money
So they would rather adapt their content to be more diverse & keep money coming in than use their media channels to publish their own narrower subjective views and opinions
Therefore media content doesn’t reflect the biased, one sided views of media owners
It reflects the diverse opinions of the public who pay for the media content
The public = diverse so want diverse media
Argument against Manipulative/Instrumentalist/Hegemonic Marxists - there is not a hegemony being disseminated through the media as content is determined by the diverse demands of the consumers.
Consumers determine content - New tech
Audiences take advantage of of new technologies to produce their own content
EG YouTube
Results in the formation of Prosumers
Argument against Cultural pessimist ideology that there is a concentration of ownership of media which inhibits diverse content, messages and worldviews being presented
Argument against Manipulative/Instrumentalist/Hegemonic marxist ideology that there is a hegemony disseminated through the media - there are a plethora of worldviews presented on the media through consumers producing their own content and sharing it via the internet.
Consumers determine content - Active Audiences
Audiences = Active
Audiences = free to select or reject media messages/content
They have the power to not engage with media they do not enjoy/agree with - if enough people do this then the company will be forced out of business
There are also multiple interpretations of media content - there is not a hegemony as media companies and owners cannot control how different audience members interpret their messaging - Hall reception theory (may take the preferred, negotiated or oppositional reading)
Journalists are not controlled by owners - Business
Media owners cannot personally determine the media content of all their products
Media moguls who own large corporations do not have the time
too busy running a business and dealing with global level management issues
They have too many products
Journalists are not controlled by owners - Media Professionalism
Journalists & editors would never allow owners to compromise their independence
Journalists have too much integrity to be constantly biassed in favour of one particular perspective
The media has a history of investigative journalism - which often questions those in power (goes against Marxist ideology that the elite control the messages disseminated in the media)
EG Pippa Crerar investigating those in the conservative party involved in partygate for the Daily Mail
This forced many politicians to resign
The Media as a Democratic Mirror
The range of media products available = diverse
So all points of view in a democratic society are catered for
If some povs have more exposure than others it is not bias - it mirrors what the audiences are interested in or want to see (Link to manipulative/Instrumentalist/Hegemonic Marxists - possibly explains why there is a dominant ideology in media)
Public Service Broadcasting
A significant share of the UKs media is taken up by PSBs.
PSB = media outlet controlled by the state - have a worldwide reputation for impartiality and cater for every taste and opinion
EG Channel 4 & BBC
BBC = set up with a royal charter - states that media products they produce must inform, educate and entertain the full audience spectrum
Stresses the importance of impartiality of news reporting, catering for all audience profiles and the education of audiences so that they can make informed political decisions.
Pluralists view PSBs as the epitome of impartiality and counterweight any potential bias from any privately owned media companies
PSB Evaluations
Can be argued that the BBC are abandoning its PSB nature - it is losing its audience so is responding by coming increasingly populist in its programming - EG increase in light entertainment adn mainstream TV programmes such as dramas like Happy Valley and nonsense shows like Michael McIntyre’s Big Show (link to candy floss culture - Harvey)
HOWEVER
Pluralists argue that this is not a problem as competition with companies like Sky & Virgin have resulted in the BBC offering more choice to their consumers which is a good thing
EG the BBC set up a new website & digital channels as a response to this increased competition.
This allowed greater audience interactivity and more collective intelligence as it educates audiences allowing them to make more informed political decisions.
State Control
The Power of Media Owners is reduced by gov control
EG in some societies gov does not allow media owners too own too much media or different types of media in order to prevent one individual’s ideology from becoming too dominant - Rupert Murdoch was denied from owning any more of Sky as he already owned too much media
Many countries have cross-media ownership rules which prevent companies from owning more than one media form in the same field - EG an owner can only own 1 TV station instead of several.
Regulatory bodies such as Ofcom = their job to monitor content of the BBC & commercial channels, listen to, investigate and act upon audience complaints & issue sanctions if necessary
Both the BBC & ITV have legal requirements imposed on them by the BBC
The combination of audiences and regulators prevents unethical media owners from imposing biased media content on the general public
Media Professionalism
Pluralists stress the professionalism of journalists & editors - they would never allow owners to compromise their independence
Journalists have too much integrity to be biased in favour of one particular perspective
The media has a history of investigative journalism - often targets those in power (therefore journalists are not afraid to challenge those in power and do not do as they ask)
EG journalists have uncovered corruption in high places and forced important individuals to resign - COVID-19 Party gate BoJo
