Theories with Ownership & Control Flashcards
How many theories do we look at within Ownership and Control of media
4
Which 3 theories do we look at within Ownership and Control of media
Instrumental/manipulative Approach: Traditional marxism
Hegemoonic view: Neo-marxism Approach
Pluralist Approach
Postmodernism
What is the main point from Instrumental/manipulative approach (traditional marxism) for ownership and control of media
Owners of media companies have direct control of content and use it to benefit capitalism ideology
Media = ISA (Althusser)
How does the media promote capitalist ideology for Instrumental/manipulative approach (traditional marxism)
Adds - encourage consumer culture = false needs
Dragons Den - myth of meritocracy = portrays everyone has a fair choice
Emphasis on benefit - welfare depedancy viewed - views it as individuals fault and not capitalism, ‘people on welfare are lazy’
Quiz shows - money = happiness, competition, profit is main aim
What did Miliband say about the media
It is the new ‘Opium of the people’
Rc use the media to entertain and promote messages of consumerism and capitalist ideology
Rarely inform audience on important matters - poverty
Media is the new bread and circus
What did Turnstall and Palmer say about the extent at which the media companies have control
Govs dont regulate media as they need media support to gain or remain in power
What is the definition of Regulatory favours
Newspapers supporting governments in returning for the gov not to regulate them
What are two examples of Regulatory favours
Leverson Inquiry: Found a link between media ownerss and govs - media support to political parties
Donalds trumpy unlikely to regulate Twitter due to Elon Musk
How do pluralists criticise the traditional marxist theory of ownership and control
Wide range of opinions and options owner must provide for what audience want to make profit
How do Neophiliacs criticse traditional marxists theory of ownership and control
Interactivity of new media and citizens journalists has undermined media companies control
We now expose RC BUT RC can still censor (Arab Spring)
What are two general criticism of traditional marxists theory of ownership and control
Legal restrains on how many meiuda outlets a conglomerate can own to reduce influence - owners cannot just publish own views
Deterministic - audiences arent as passive and easy to manipulate to believe Rc ideology, they challenge the ideas presented by media
What is the other name for Neo-marxism in media
Hegemonic view
What is the general view of Neo-marxism in media
Journalists control the media and not the owners
They select what news we see and they unintentionally support the interests of capitalism due to the jounralists social background - MC white men
Which sociological group to neo-marxists use for their view on the media and who controls it
Glasgow uni media group
What is the main aim of journalists and how do they achieve this
To make profit
Do this by delivering ‘middle of the road’ content, uncontraversial stories they believe appeal to the majority
These stories maintain the status quo (capitalism)
What % of journalists in the UK were privately educated
Over 50%
How do the journalists in control of the media link to capitalism
Jounralists background and aim to make profit = uintentionally reflects interests of bourgeoisie and support capitalism
How does journalists in control of the media allow for hegemony
Journalists reporting persuades audiance to believe in odminant ideology and accept the powerful ruling over them = ruling by consent
How does the Neo-marxist view on the control of the media link to Halls scapegoats in crime (black muggers)
Journalists turn a blind eye to eestavlishment and instead critically attack the poor, unemployed, benefit claimers and immigrants
What is Agenda setting and gatekeeping
Ability to decide what is shown and how it is portrayed
Audiences have little choice over what they see
Neo-marxists say journalists possess this
What is an example of Agenda setting and gatekeeping
Reporting of the 2011 London riots where the focus was on the damage caused by the wc and not the cause (racism and capitalism, death or Mark Duggan
How do traditional marxists criticise the Neo-marxist view of control and the media
Journalists are manipulated and must follow desires of the owners
Hegemonic view underestimates power of influence by the owners - Leveson Inquiry where Murdoch undermineds journalists and pressured them to adopt right wing views
How does the nature of the new media criticise the Hegemonic view of the media and control
Interactivity of new media means audience can control the media through eyeball democracy which can be used to combat capitalism - Pluralists
What is the general view from the Pluralists approach to media and control
Consumers are in control - wide variety of media avaliable from a wide range of sources
What is meant by Markety mechanism for Pluralists approach to media and control
Concentration of ownership due to economic rationality not political or sinister - to keep profits up andd costs down - Murdoch
Diversity of products means it is impossible for owners to directly influence their content
What is meant by Media shaped by consumer demand for Pluralists approach to media and control
Only give what the audience want
Have to be popular to surrveive - eyeball democracy
Professional ethics of jounralists stops abuse
Media owners compete to atttract consumers = improvements in quality and services and tailored to consumers in different markets
What is meant by Division of ownership control for Pluralists approach to media and control
Media owners cannot possible control all out put - hand it over to editors for day-daya control
What is meant by Audience Participation for Pluralists approach to media and control
Instant participation in new media - voices heard
This was still prevelent in old media - letter for Points of View radioshow
What is meant by Media = Part of democratic process
Audiences gain knowledge about politics from trustowrthy media sources
What is meant by Legal Constraints for Pluralists approach to media and control (includes two evaluations)
Stop certain political parties from dominating media = no bias
X only in place for TV and newspapers
X hard to enforce in new media due to instant posts on social media
What are two regulator boards in the media
OFCOM - regulate TV and radio, can offer sanctions and take away licenses
Independent Press Standards Organisation - regulates newspaper and magazines
What example is used for the idea of consumer demand making things popular in the media - Pluralists
Blackberry phones:
Used to be leader of phone industry
Did not adapt to rise in ppopularity in smartphones and has now stopped producing phones and moved to security
Which media company proves pluralists points on impartiality and only providing what the consumers want
BBC
What is the evaluation point to the BBC being impartial
BBC now publishes more commercial content in order to stay popular
What are two examples of the pluralist approach being seen in the sanctions of big media companies for breaching
GB News fined £100,000 for repeated breach of political rules in the run up to the 2024 general election
Leverson inquiry - started from media hacking into a missing girls phone and caused David Cameron to make an inquiry into ethics of media. Out come = new regulation body recommended
What is an evaluation of the Leverson inquiry for the hacking of the missing girls phone
Only ended in recommendations which do not have to be followed = not acted upon
How do marxists criticise the pluralist approach to media and control
Media owners have total control and gov are reluctant to regulate
Fire journalists based on willingness to obey orders
How do neo-marxistss criticse the pluralist approach to media and control
Pluralists over-emphasis impartiality of journalists - background results in uncontroversial reporting, not diverse
How do feminists criticse the pluralist approach to media and control
Content not diverse - lack of female voices
What is one general evaluation for the pluralist approach to media and control
Powerless groups do not have resources to set up media companies of their own = not being heard from = not diverse
What do Postmodernists say generally about the media and control
No one has control of the media
Journalists can no longer impose one view
One truth = no longer possible
Which 4 things impact ownership and control for the postmodernist view
Media saturation - immersed in media
Globalisation - nations borders crossed through communication
Decline in meta narratives - people no longer believe in ‘one truth’
Levene: greater choice - interactivity and media = increase choice = easier to reject meta narrative
What did Braudrillard say about hyper reality
Audiences have so much info, they struggle to distinguish between real life and media messages - simulacra
What did Trowler say about media messages
Polysemic - each one interpreted differently, one idea is not more powerful than others
How do marxists critice postmodernists view of media and control
Media saturated world has created passive participation in mass culture - not more choice, it is more of the same
What is a general evaluation for postmodernist view of media and control
It fails to acknowledge structural inequalities in wealth and power = difficult for powerless groups to bring about change via media (like pluralists fail to acknowledge)
