Theoretical explanations of the media- Neo Marxists

Question 1

Neo Marxists
Continued to look at…?
Class?
Maintaing? (2)

Answer 1

Continued to look at the importance of the media in maintaining ruling class interests and hegemony (dominance)

Question 2

The Sutton Trust
Two professions? Characteristics? (4)- including educational background %-Compared to the entire UK population
In contemporary UK what do media professionals aim to do?
However, because of their… and… - what does they do?

Answer 2

Journalists and broadcasters tend to be white, middle class males in which over 50% of them attended private schools.
Only 7% of the UK population attend private school
Therefore, in the contemporary UK, media professionals aim to produce media content which is popular in the media market place. However, because of their background and personal beliefs, they unconsciously promote ruling class norms, values and ideologies through their content.
Neo Marxists are critical of the content that audiences are exposed to

Question 3

Gilroy
What was black crime a form of?
Against what? (2) era?- what two things were apparent in this era?
What does Gilroy argue is the same?
What has the media created? of what group?
What does this lead to?

Answer 3

Black crime was a form of political resistance against a repressive capitalist state, especially in the 1970s when racism and discrimination was apparent.
Argues that criminality is the same amongst black and white people but the media has created a folk devil out of black people leading to deviancy amplification

Question 4

Hall
In support of?
Three key stereotypes? Name of article?
What are black and Asian people shown as i the media? (source of)
what are they labelled as?
Example?
Where are stereotypes evident?
Even though diversity has been developed, why are dominant views not challenged?
If social groups in deprived areas are negatively stereotyped, what does this lead to? What does this prevent?

Answer 4

Supports the argument of Gilroy

The Whites of their Eyes- Hall discusses three key stereotypes of black people

• natives
• slaves
• entertainers

Unconscious racism
Black and Asian people are shown as a ‘source’ of social problems and labelled as a ‘problem’ in media coverage, ‘troublemakers’ in news coverage of
riots with the media supporting law and government

Stereotypes are evident in traditional Hollywood films and contemporary media texts. Even though diversity in the media has been developed they are still created by those in ‘control’ of the media meaning that their dominant views are not challenged

If social groups in deprived areas are negatively stereotyped this means that people will not emphasise with them, leading to less support. This prevents a revolution as unification of the masses is prevented.