power and the media Flashcards
CURRAN AND SEATON
Profit and power
What is it + case study
- media controlled by just a few conglomerates whose goal is to maintain control and gain profit
- repetition of rhetoric and dominant ideologies of those in control
- controversial and sensationalist headlines –> more copies sold –> more manipulation –> more power and control over he rhetoric
- media products are carefully constructed through a process of selection and omission
Case Study: Companies buying out competition and diversifying- e.g. Disney takeover of Marvel, LucasFilm, Fox Studios etc.; Big tech companies - Meta - “Metaverse” - control and personalise what audiences consume - to gain advertising revenue. Musk takeover of Twitter.
case study: UK news
Around 75% of UK newspapers support the right-wing conservative government and therefore will represent the IDEOLOGY (values and beliefs) of the right wing.
2016 -Romanians flock
2022, oligarch, darkest hour, opens its’ doors
Democracy and RHETORIC
What is it and case study?
DEMOCRACY:
marcus rashford - democracy
- using his platform to campaign against food poverty
- boris johnson responded
Case study: Sonic the Hedgehog Movie
Case study: how people are using social media for The Free Palestine movement
rhetoric - language that influences/entertains people
ethos - the credibility of the speaker
pathos - emotional state of the audience
logos - proving what is true
case study: Trump
- ‘we will stop the steal’
- ‘statistically impossible to have lost’
- ‘make your voices heard’
- ‘we will stop the steal’
- ‘If you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore
MARXIST media perspectives
what is it
- media exists to maintain the status quo - cultural hegemony
- to prevent the proletariat (audiences) from quetsioning the bougeois (industry)
- Perpetuating DOMINANT IDEOLOGIES - predominantly capitalism and conservatism in the US and UK.
- THOSE WHO OWN THE MEDIA HAVE CONTROL OVER IT and therefore are the ones with the POWER.
case studies
twitter, elon musk and x - democracy - he designed the algorithm and the blue tick to push forward his own ideologies and those who are willing to pay, able to represent issues and groups more than others - usually right wing support). reinstating over a dozen high-profile right-wing accounts and granting, mocking people concerned about COVID-1, ANTI-VAX,
other previously suspended accounts that had spread misinformation
- elon musk’s account is the most pushed one
- elite such as trump, tate spreading hate speech
Dyer’s typography of representation
what is it and case study?
- representation through media language
- being representative of…
- who is responsible for representation
- how does the audience decode the representation being presented - apply reception theory (negotiates, oppositional, preferred)
Case Study: UK Media on Immigration
How the media CONSTRUCTS IDENTITY:
Dyer’s Star Theory - Construction, commodity, ideology.
Celebrities are commodities manufactured by institutions to represent ‘real people’ experiencing real emotions to relate to audiences and sell products such as films or music
Construction: Stars are constructed by the media, film industry, and publicity machines through carefully curated images, roles, and public appearances → not genuine individuals
Commodity: Stars are treated as products that can be marketed and sold → generate revenue through films, endorsements, merchandise, and other commercial ventures → brand is a valuable commodity that can attract audiences and drive profits across multiple platforms.
Ideology: Stars reflect and reinforce societal norms, beliefs, and attitudes → influence public perceptions and promote specific ideological messages, consciously or unconsciously shaping cultural and social discourse.
Kim Kardashian
KANYE - raper to global figyre known for yeezy, donda, arongant personality, fashion statements, kim,
CONGLOMERATES
the big five film studios - Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros. (20th was aquired by disney)
X-Corp
BBC, News UK
