Final Flashcards
(7 cards)
How might economic factors influence the content that major U.S. media companies produce?
What are the blockbuster strategies and how do they influence the types of products that major U.S. media companies’ produce?
Media companies focus on profit because making content is expensive and risky.
Blockbuster Strategy:
Spend big on a few “safe” hits (like superhero movies) that appeal to lots of people.
Impact:
Less room for unique or risky content
Media becomes repetitive with similar stories and styles
Examples:
* High-budget films with huge marketing pushes aimed at global audiences: Marvel’s Avengers, Barbie (2023), Oppenheimer (2023)
* Streaming Services Cutting Costs: Disney+ combined with Hulu and deleted less popular shows to save money and Warner Bros. removed Westworld from HBO Max in 2023 to avoid paying extra fees
* Video Game Blockbusters: Companies focus on big-name games like Elden Ring (2022) and Call of Duty to make money (less support for small or indie games)
How do legal factors influence media production in the U.S.?
Be sure to identify specific ways that legal factors influence media production.
What is technologically unique about the Internet relative to prior media technologies?
What are some potential major social benefits and concerns with the Internet’s unique technological features?
- Media is shaped by copyright, FCC rules, and industry self-regulation to balance creativity, control, and censorship.
- Copyright Clause (U.S. Constitution): Protects creators but can limit others (like documentaries using clips).
- FCC (Federal Communications Commission):
Regulates broadcast TV/radio more than online or print.
(Requires licenses and Bans indecent content at certain times) - Self-Regulation: Industries rate content (like MPAA for movies, ESRB for games) to avoid government rules.
Examples of Law in Action:
* Mickey Mouse (2024): Early Mickey (Steamboat Willie) entered the public domain.
➡️ Raises questions about companies keeping control of cultural icons.
- TikTok Ban Debates (2023–2024): U.S. Congress considers banning TikTok over national security, showing how laws affect access to media.
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AI & Copyright Lawsuits: Cases like Getty Images vs. Stability AI ask: Can AI use copyrighted content without permission?
➡️ Could change how media is made and protected.
How has popular media been used to promote particular ideologies pertaining to economic class, race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality?
Why is it important to study the reception of popular media (e.g., decoding)?
It’s interactive, accessible, and decentralized, meaning users can create, share, and connect more freely.
-
Social Benefits:
➡️ Real-time updates (e.g., during COVID)
➡️ User-made content gives power to everyday creators
➡️ Global movements spread fast (#MeToo, Black Lives Matter) -
Concerns:
➡️Digital divide: Not everyone has internet access
➡️Misinformation and online harassment
➡️Surveillance capitalism: Platforms make money by tracking your data - Examples:
-
Twitter/X under Elon Musk (2022– )
➡️Less moderation = more free speech and more misinformation/hate speech -
Citizen Journalism (Gaza, Ukraine 2022–2024)
➡️Regular people post real-time war footage, challenging official news stories -
COVID-19 Pandemic (2020–2022)
➡️Internet tools like Zoom and live trackers helped people stay connected and informed
Apply the “uses and gratifications” framework to explore and evaluate the different reasons why people use social media, including yourself.
Framework: People use media to meet personal needs. Common social media uses:
- Socializing
- Entertainment
- Information
- Self-expression
- Status
Examples:
* BeReal (2022–2023): Let users post real-time, unfiltered photos.
➡️ Showed a growing desire for authenticity over curated social media.
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Instagram & TikTok for News (2023): Gen Z gets news from short videos (Reuters report).
➡️ Mix of entertainment + information = new way to stay informed. -
Art Activism on TikTok: During BLM protests (2020) and after Roe v. Wade overturned (2022), people shared protest art, poetry, and videos.
➡️ Self-expression + political action through digital media.
Why is it important to keep both “structure” and “agency” in mind when exploring the significance of major media technologies/companies?
Understanding media = balancing structure (rules/systems) and agency (what people do with media)
-
Structure = Limits + Systems
➡️Big media ownership
➡️Algorithms
➡️Cultural norms -
Agency = What People Do
➡️How audiences interpret media
➡️Create content
➡️Use media for activism
Why It Matters:
People can use media platforms to create social change (e.g., BLM, Arab Spring), but structures still control who gets heard (e.g., shadowbanning, bans).
Examples:
* Writers & Actors Strikes (WGA & SAG-AFTRA, 2023): Workers pushed back against industry structures (like AI & streaming pay).
➡️ Collective agency to fight for fair treatment
-
Algorithmic Bias: Platforms like TikTok allegedly suppress Black, disabled, and LGBTQ+ creators.
➡️ Structure limits visibility, even when users try to express themselves -
#BookTok Movement: TikTok users made books like Fourth Wing bestsellers
➡️ User agency reshaped the book industry from the ground up
How has popular media been used to promote particular ideologies pertaining to economic class, race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality? Why is it important to study the reception of popular media (e.g., decoding)?
Key Concept: Media Spreads Ideologies
➡️Media repeats stories that shape how we think about race, gender, class, and sexuality.
Class
Shows and ads often link wealth = happiness
➡️ Example: Selling Sunset and luxury lifestyles
Race
Old media often stereotyped minorities
New media shows diverse power
➡️ Examples: Black Panther, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Gender & Sexuality
Queer identities were once stigmatized
Now, some shows give affirming, positive rep
➡️ Examples: Heartstopper, Pose
Decoding Media
People interpret media based on their identity
➡️ A queer viewer may see a scene differently than a straight viewer
(This is Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model)
Examples:
* The Idol (2023)
Criticized for glamorizing toxic relationships
➡️ Sparked debates on gender, power, and how viewers decode media
* The Little Mermaid (2023)
Halle Bailey as Ariel = racially inclusive casting
➡️ Some celebrated rep, others responded with racism
-
Heartstopper (2022–2023)
Positive queer teen love story
➡️ Pushes back on the “tragic queer” media trope
What is technologically unique about the Internet relative to prior media technologies?
FCC (Federal Communications Commission):
Regulates broadcast TV/radio more than online or print.
(Requires licenses and Bans indecent content at certain times)
