Theoretical explanations of the media: Pluralism

Question 1

Pluralism
What does media content cater towards?
What does this mean?

Answer 1

Media content reflects the needs of customers/viewers, therefore media owners do not control the media it is the consumers.

Supply and demand

Question 2

Whale
What determines the content in the press?
What does pluralism suggest would happen if audiences thought social groups were represented unfairly?
What can audiences recognise? What do they know? What does this mean?

Answer 2

What we see on the news/press is determined by the viewers/audiences
Pluralism = if audiences thought that social groups were represented unfairly they would not continue to use the media products being sold.
Audiences can recognise stereotypes and realise they are being manipulated therefore this is not an issue created by the media.

Question 3

Fourth Estate of Democracy
What has been given his label?
Why has it been given this label? (decisions?)
Examples?

Answer 3

The media has been labelled as the ‘Fourth State of Democracy’, following the government, the courts and the church
Explanation: access to information is an essential part of democracy as it leads to informed choices
News channels: information about current affairs influences decion making in housing, education etc
Social media: Opinions from celebrities

Question 4

William
What profession is important in a democratic society?
why? (what do they provide the general public?) (participate in?)
Therefore what does the media have an important role in?
What kind of press is needed to allow democracy to function effectively?- what can censorship lead to? (3)
What do newspapers which support the conservative party now do?
Which sociologist does this contradict?

Answer 4

Journalists are important in a democratic society as they provide the general public with the information required to participate in a political and cultural life
Therefore the media has an important role in presenting groups fairly

Free press is needed for democracy to function effectively as censorship leads to bias, uncritical views towards politicians and policies.
Newspapers which support the conservative party, now also criticise conservative policies when needed

This contradicts Curran’s view of the majority of newspapers supporting conservative policies and no critics

Question 5

Two Step flow model

How does i support pluralists views?

Answer 5

Can be seen to support pluralist views of media representations- people decide whether they choose to accept media representations of social groups

Question 6

Halloran
What can audiences do?
why? (what do they have?
Curran and Gurevitch
What does this mean that audiences are able to do?

Answer 6

Audiences can manipulate the media as they have ‘plural views of society’ (several views that influence)

Curran and Gurevitch- audiences are therefore have the capability of conforming and accepting these representations, or rejecting them