Ownership And Control

Question 1

What does the media include?

Answer 1

All the different forms of communication that society uses to give information to the public- newspapers, websites, radio, cinema, advertising and TV. It is used to deliver news, educate and provide entertainment

Question 2

What is content analysis?

Answer 2

Measuring hoe often a word, phrase or theme is used in a piece of media. The downside is it takes a long time

Question 3

What is semiotics?

Answer 3

Studying the signs and codes of media. Eg ads.

Downside is that its open to subjectivity and bias

Question 4

What are experiments?

Answer 4

Studying how an actual audience responds to media

Question 5

What is the media produced and transmitted by?

Answer 5

Media outlets

The same companies often own different forms of media- cross-media ownership

Question 6

What does it mean by media companies diversify?

Answer 6

They buy other companies that make different kinds of media, and they also buy companies in other business sectors

Question 7

What is Rupert Murdoch’s corporation called and what does it own?

Answer 7

Newscorp
TV stations, newspapers etc
Eg the sun newspaper.

Question 8

Who owns three national TV channels, an advertising agency and a magazine publisher in Italy?

Answer 8

Silvio Berlusconi

Question 9

What countries does Newscorp own media in?

Answer 9

Newspapers in Britain, Australia and the US. It owns tv networks in Australia, Europe, Asia and America

Question 10

What did Bagdikian find about who owned the media in America?

Answer 10

The media is owned by five huge corporations- Time Warner, News Corp, Disney, Bertelsmann and Viacom

Question 11

What are the owners of American media called and how much of US media do they own?

Answer 11

‘Big six’ 90%

Question 12

The individuals who own and control big media companies have huge power and influence in society. They can control the information we receive. What example is there of this?

Answer 12

Silvio Berlusconi, ex prime minister and owns a lot of media outlets was accused of using the media to control the reporting of his political party and the opposition

Question 13

What is censorship

Answer 13

The process of controlling the content of the media. Media messages that are considered harmful or offensive can be removed before the public sees them

Question 14

What do traditional marxists think about the media?

Answer 14

Media owners control what we see in the media. The owners of the media exploit their power position to manipulate the content of the media. Capitalist media owners tell news editors what stories to cover and what views to put across

Question 15

What does Miliband argue?

Answer 15

The messages the media put across encourage the proletariat to be subordinate and happy to serve the bourgeoisie

Question 16

What do neo Marxists argue?

Answer 16

Media reflects the idea of the ruling class (including media owners). Control over media is indirect. The world view of the elite class is broadcast and reinforced by the media. The values and ideas of the ruling class are presented as the natural, common sense views to have. This is called ‘cultural hegemony’.

Question 17

What examples are there of neo marxists?

Answer 17

The Glasgow University Media Group (1970s) found that the majority of people working in the media were white, middle class men

Question 18

What do some neo marxists argue about people who work in the media?

Answer 18

People who work in the media are trained to present a certain view of the world. The view becomes natural and ‘obvious’ to them and the audience. The media workers and the audience are unaware that the media is pushing a certain view

Question 19

What do neo marxists argue about alternative views?

Answer 19

They don’t say that alternative views are suppressed, they are allowed. This gives the impression that all views get a fair shout- which makes it seem fair for the dominant view to stay on top

Question 20

What do marxists say about entertainment programmes?

Answer 20

Are presented as light hearted fun but present a specific idea of bristling family life

Question 21

What did the Frankfurt school (neo marxists) argue?

Answer 21

Adverts Isi get in the media makes people feel that they need the goods produced in the capitalist economy. They call these ‘false needs’

Question 22

What do pluralists argue?

Answer 22

Society is made up of lots of different and interacting parts, each producing their own opinions

Question 23

What do postmodernists argue?

Answer 23

Consumption is hugely important in today’s society- the cultural products and media that you buy and consume form your identity

Question 24

What do postmodernist pluralists argue?

Answer 24

Because people can choose to consume different opinions media outlets produce content that they think people want to read and buy.

Question 25

What do pluralists argue about the audience?

Answer 25

No one group or person can push their views on society because there’s always another voice that provides an alternative view.
This gives normal people consumer power over media outlets- if you don’t like what you are reading or hearing, then you can choose a different media source, which causes the old one to lose money. (Market mechanism)
Owners of the media organisations want to stay in business, so they mostly stick to publishing stories that wont offend their readers- views that are so extreme often don’t get published

Question 26

What do pluralists say about journalists?

Answer 26

Journalists and editors decide what media content they are going to publish- postmodernist pluralists argue that this limits the power of owners and creates more media diversity
Journalists often have to follow professional codes that make sure they are reporting in an objective, unbiased and honest way- this is called journalistic integrity. This makes it harder for owners to interfere.
Neo pluralists admit it can be hard for journalists to be impartial and stick to these codes

Question 27

What do pluralists think about the state?

Answer 27

In the UK, there are lots of groups who regulate the media- these groups make sure that media owners don’t have too much power and that journalists are acting responsibly.

Question 28

How are pluralists criticised?

Answer 28

Curran argues that owners still interfere in the production of media. He also argues that the UK media has been controlled by a small number of individuals