neo marxist view on media

Question 1

Glasgow University Media Group (GUMG) — Neo-Marxist Media Analysis

Answer 1

AO1 (Knowledge):
GUMG argue that mainstream news media reflects ruling-class interests by presenting social issues and events in a way that favours elites and marginalises the working class.

AO2 (Application/Example):
For example, their research showed UK news often portrayed working-class protests as disruptive while giving more favorable coverage to government and corporate perspectives.

AO3 (Evaluation):
Critics say GUMG focus mainly on traditional news media and may underestimate the growing diversity of media sources like social media and alternative outlets.

Question 2

Stuart Hall — Encoding/Decoding & Media

Answer 2

AO1 (Knowledge):
Hall’s encoding/decoding model explains that media producers encode messages with certain meanings, often reflecting ruling-class ideology, but audiences can decode these messages in different ways, including acceptance, negotiation, or opposition.

AO2 (Application/Example):
For example, a news report might present a protest as disruptive (encoded meaning), but some viewers may interpret it as a justified fight for rights (oppositional decoding).

AO3 (Evaluation):
Critics argue that Hall’s model may overestimate audience resistance, as many people still accept dominant media messages, limiting the potential for challenge.