marxist views on the ownership and control of the media

Question 1

how many hours of TV does the average viewer in UK watch?

Answer 1

• 3 hrs and 55 mins a day in 2014
• ca: there’s been a decline, 2023: 2 hrs and 38 mins a day. however, all content including social media platforms eg TikTok + on demand platforms, its increased to 4 hrs 31 mins - due to rise in streaming services + online videos
  
  • decline for younger audiences - 2023: only 48% 16-24 yo watched tv, 2018: 76%

Question 2

what does the media act as when looking at the average viewer in 2014?

Answer 2

• acts as a major agency of informal primary + secondary socialisation

Question 3

what approach do Marxists take?

Answer 3

• manipulative/instrumentalist approach

Question 4

what do Marxists argue about the ownership and control of the media?

Answer 4

• minority ruling class are the ones who own the majority of media
• use it to serve own interests
• media: tool of ruling class used to maintain power and control
• manipulate + control ideas of wc
• through ideological control of wc, ruling class ensures their position remains unchallenged
• media: powerful part of socialisation ensuring that wc accept capitalist ideology

Question 5

what does the media form part of according to Marxists?

Answer 5

• false-class consciousness
• wc not aware of their true position of exploitation

Question 6

how do the ruling classes control the media? (Marxist)

Answer 6

• deciding on the content (news and entertainment)
• media can and do influence and change the way news is reported —> sends powerful and subtle messages so it shapes their view
• eg blaming wc for problems created by capitalism

Question 7

the media are held in the hands of… (Marxist)

Answer 7

• increasingly small numbers of companies
• they use media to reinforce dominant ideology

Question 8

what does Miliband argue about the media and ownership? (Marxist)

Answer 8

• owners share particular interests - cultural capital
• eg attended similar unis

Question 9

what do trad Marxists argue about the new form of media?

Answer 9

• they’re a continuation of older forms of media in their aims and intentions

Question 10

what do the owners of the media decide on? (Marxist)

Answer 10

• boundaries of the media - what subjects can be approached
• Marxists: owners assume their audience is passive and unquestioning - so they feed simple info to public
  
  • prevent serious issues being tackled eg cause of economic inequalities

Question 11

what are those who work with the media encouraged to do? (Marxist)

Answer 11

• they’re encouraged to support views of company owners
• or else they face ridicule or discipline
• journalists and editors likely to report in a way that reflects company owners rather than being objective and unbiased
• radical groups who try challenge society through media are severely punished

Question 12

what do Marxists argue about entertainment media?

Answer 12

• organised
• prevents people from having consideration about serious issues which reflect problems in society
• eg coverage of conflict in Iraq
  
  • media portrayed country as developing weapons of mass destruction - used as political justification to bring down political leaders of the country and invade
  • media played role in manipulating people into believing claims of the gov - supporting their ideas

Question 13

what are the strengths of the Marxist view?

Answer 13

• it’s useful and accurate
  
  • media is political + owners use companies to further their political and economic interests
  • eg Rupert Murdoch (media-mogul) has influence his media output to support conservative perspective

Question 14

what are the weaknesses of the marxist view?

Answer 14

• sometimes media is responsible for highlighting inequalities - do so with some positive effects for poor and oppressed
• media reflect range of ideas not just those of ruling class
• public are not passive - citizen journalism is an example of how the public are now able to participate in creation of media
  
  • they can express their own views, sometimes challenging inequalities in society that are masked by media

Question 15

who do neo-Marxists agree with and about what?

Answer 15

• trad Marxists
• media reflects views of ruling class

Question 16

what do neo-Marxists focus on?

Answer 16

• role of media in enforcing dominant set of ideas onto wc

Question 17

what do neo-Marxists argue?

Answer 17

• owners exert subtle influence rather than direct one

Question 18

what are owners rarely doing? (neo-Marxists)

Answer 18

• taking a hands-on approach in directing output
• Gramsci calls this hegemony
  
  • ideas of ruling class perceived to be dominant —> widely accepted

Question 19

what do the media challenge at times? (neo-Marxists + CA)

Answer 19

• the conventional ruling class ideology to appear to be proving balanced view of the world
• ca: ideas expressed + reinforced reflect ruling class ideology as a whole

Question 20

what is the neo-Marxist view seen as more applicable to?

Answer 20

• contemporary society
• media wide ranging + complex