Theoretical explanations of the media: Marxism Flashcards
Marxism
What is the media a part of?
definition?
what is this influenced and controlled by?
The media is part of the superstructure (institutions of society) which is influenced and controlled by capitalism (the infrastructure which is the economic base of society)
What two ideas does Marxism explain?
What does the media create? amongst who?
Who owns the media? What does this strengthen?
1: The media creates a false class consciousness amongst the working class
2: the ruling class owns the media which strengthens their control
The media creates a false class consciousness amongst the woking class
Milliband
Name of book?
How does the ruling class dominate sociey? (what do they create and what does this show?
What are inequalities shown as? (3) what does this mean?
What is the media? (quote)
what has the media replaced?
what do institutions act as? what do they do? (what illusion is produced)
what two things does the media distract the proletariats from? in where? what does this allow ruling class to do?
Milliband
Wrote a book ‘The State in a Capitalist Society’
By creating a false picture of reality the ruling class is able to use the media to control society as their false picture illustrates capitalism in a positive way
Inequalities are presented as inevitable, justifiable and effective for society meaning that the proletariat accepts ruling class values, even though they do not benefit them as much.
The media is ‘the new opium of the people’- media replaced religion
Institutions act like a drug to numb the senses and produce an illusion of happiness that is not real = the media distracts the proletariat from the exploitation and oppression of the capitalist system which allows the ruling class to control and dominate them
Media ownership and ruling class control Bagdikian What year? How many corporations? what did they do? Where? But Year? how many corporations
1983- 50 corporations controlled the majority of all news media in the USA but by 2004, media ownership was concentrated in 7 corporations
Media ownership and ruling class control
Curran
Evidence for? (what are owners doing)
Mid 20th century? What are press barons? What were they open with?
What kind of newspapers were there more of?- serves interests of?
Later 20th century/present?- Owners are now more…
Example? title?
What is it evident that politicians believe? why? (what do they try to do?)
Example? country? how were they rewarded?
What is the content of commercial terrestrial televising mainly controlled by? (name of company?)- how many TV licenses do they hold that make up the ITV network?
What two companies control is access to satellite, cable and digital TV in Britain?
Evidence of owners directly manipulating media content
Mid 20th century- ‘press barons’ (influential newspaper publisher or owner who usually controls more than one widely circulated newspaper) were open with their propagandist role
- More conservative supporting newspapers compared to critics = serving the interests of their wealthy owners
Later 20th century/present- owners are more interventionist e.g. Rupert Murdoch (media tycoon- wealthy/powerful).
It is evident that politicians believe media moguls have an influential control as they try to get on their right side. eg Tony Blair famously flew to Australia to meet with Rupert Murdoch and was rewarded with the support of The Sun
David Cameron repeated this with the same outcome a few years later
Content of commercial terrestrial televising is mainly controlled by one company, ITV plc (British media company that holds 13 of the 15 regional television licences that make up the ITV network)
Access to satellite, cable and digital TV in Britain is controlled by two companies- News Corp (owned by Rupert Murdoch) which owns BskyB (British Sky Broadcasting), and Virgin Media owned by Richard Branson
