Ownership and Control of the Media 4M Flashcards
(28 cards)
1
Q
vertical intergration
A
process by which one owner acquires all aspects of production and distribution of a single media product
2
Q
horizontal intergration
A
where one company buys different types if media
* Eg: news corporation (Murdoch) owns a range of newspapers, book publishings, film (fox)
3
Q
traditional ownership
A
media organisations operating globally - news corporation originated from australia but now owns papers in UK and USA
4
Q
diversification
A
media companies diversify into other buisness areas to spread risk
EG virgin has media interests in music, TV, internet, insurance, banking, and airline
5
Q
synergy
A
- media companies use their different interests to package their products in different ways
- Eg: movies, soundtracks, toys, computer games
6
Q
technological convergence
A
technology has moved away from seperate technologies Eg: tv, radio to the merging of content into single technology EG: smartphone, tablets
7
Q
what view of society does the pluralist theory have
A
- a representative democracy
- we are all represented in decision making about society by those we have elected
- means that no one group dominates society
8
Q
role of owners - pluralist theory
A
- no direct control, wide range of competing interests - fills need to satisfy the market
- concentration of ownership is essential for surival in a global market.
- curran and seaton say only transnational corporations have the reasources to provide audiences with a wide and varied choice at affordable prices
digital technology means that owners have even less power, as power transfers to the audience
9
Q
media content - pluralist theory
A
- the new needs for circulation and audience figures and profit means content is now what the audience want and not owners
- digitial technology means auidences can create their own media EG: youtube
10
Q
role of media managers and journalists
A
- both have high levels of independence as they attract audiences =profits.
- both wouldn’t let owners compremise their independence
- uk media has strong investigative journalism - allows for those in power to be targeted and exposure of corruption EG: party gate scandal
- law requires brodcasting to balance and fair - allowing for a wide variety of opinions to be heard
11
Q
view of audience - pluralist theory
A
- active audiences make choices between media and can accept, reject, reinterpret or ignore media content
- butler and stokes - studied imopact of media on uk electetions from 1945 - mid 70’s people buy papers that reflect their views and opinions. althought 1992 evidence that mewspapers like the sun brought a last min swing in voting behaviour ( conservative win)
- new media gives greater power to audience
12
Q
evaluation of pluralist view
A
- studies carried out of media are done by those working in the industry - evidence could be less impartial
- franklin - drive for profit has led ro a decline in medias desire to inform, educate and entertain. investagitive journalists have been replaced by celebrity columnists and presenters
- owners strongly influence who is appointed senior levesl of media. top managers, editors, and owners may all share simular view/ outlook - not uncommon for owners to sack uncooprerative editors
- currant and seaton - improtanc eof advertising revenue has encouraged media to concetrate on content that attracts large audiences - reduciing quality?
- whale - media owners have diverse and global buisiness interests and cannot always focus on content. cannot always focus on content and day to day running, may be more uninvolved in meida content
13
Q
whhat is the marixst view often known as
A
the manipulative or instrumental approach
14
Q
what does the marxist view of media ownership and control say
A
- nedia serves interests of the ruilling class
- seen as an instrument through which the ruiling class is able to manipulate media content and media audiences in its own interests
15
Q
role of owners - marxist theory
A
- direct control and manipulation of content and media proffessionals allows for media to meet needs of capitalism
- Eg: Murdoch and the Sun
- owners have direct influence on content of media and therefore infleunces politicans
16
Q
media content - marxist theory
A
- promotes capitalsit and owners values - advertisements are desinged to create demand for goods produced by a capitalist society
- agenda setting - media influence over issues
- gate keeping - limits acess to something valuable EG: refusal to cover certain issues, preventing public acessing some info
17
Q
role of media managers and journalists - marxist
A
- managers are told what to do, or work within a framework set by media onwers
- journalists will write content that matches views of owners
18
Q
view of audience - marxist (Miliband)
A
- media has taken over role of religion in a modern society ‘new opium of the people’
- entertainment has become a ‘happy drug’ preventing us from seeing our exploitation and unfair nature of capitlsim
- audience is passive - unthinking and uncritical
- audience is exposed to undemanding, trivial and uncritical content and a limited range of opinions and is manipulated
19
Q
supporting evidence/evaluation - marxist
A
- ownership is highly concentrated as are news agencies which provide most of our information on world events
- mrudoch argued in favour of war with iraq - all his 174 global newspapers supported such view. in 2007 he admitted in HoL communication committe he was ‘ hands on both economically and editorially’
20
Q
critiscm/evaluation - marxist approach
A
- pluralist - wide range of opinions and media owners main goal is profit accumulation and control. achieved by advertising which only works if audience gets what it wants ( want is created artifically by media tho?)
- state regulated meida ownership so no one person or company has too much influence - by law TV and radio reporting has to be impartial doesnt apply to newspapers
- arguable that audiences aren’t gullible and easily manipulated
21
Q
what is the neo marxist theory also known as
A
dominant ideology or hegemonic approach
22
Q
role of owners - neo marxist
A
- owners indirectly influence and control ideas values and beleifs
- capitalist ideology becomes the accepted nrom which indirectly benefits onwers
- idea of hedgemony
23
Q
media content - neo marxist
A
- media reflects the dominant ideology of capitalism
- Althusser - media is apart of the ideological state apparatus. meida puts across an overwhelmingly pro capitalist message that eventually comes to be seen as connon sense. leading us t oaccept this ideology or see no alternatives
- Marcuse - media promotes consumerism and gives peole false needs. alternative views are presented but in a silly way to give impression of a ‘balance’. meida content is controlled by an approval process .
24
Q
role of media managers and journalists - neo marxist
A
- have some inderpendence from owners, but share the dominant ideology (white, MC, males)
- therefore present mosty stories in that framework, but they need to attract audiences ad adveritisers
- GUMG - found 50% of media editors went to private school, despite only 7% of uk population attending. say this createsa too narrow field of discussion , ignoring the ‘ real issues’ or clouding judgement
25
view of audience
audience are passive -persuaded to accept the dominant ideology
26
strengths/ evaluation of neo marxist theory
* theory recognises that owners are often not invloved in day to day running of their media and recognises a degree of autonomy of managers, editors, and journalists
* recognises there is a range of content to attract a wider audience, some which is critical to dominant ideology
* journalists are socialised into a culture where dominant ideology suggests the most ' reasonable' explanation of event and the way they are reported
27
criticism/evaluation of neo marxist view
* underestimates power and infleunce of owners - editors can be dismissed if they disagree with owners views
* journalists do not always present dominant ideology. may offer anti-establishment views which strike a chord with audience - daily mirror exposed the No.10 lockdown parties by Bojo in 2021
28
post modernist evaluation of marxist theory
* reject the view that meida passes on dominant ideology
* reject the existence of a dominant ideology, instead arguing there is a diverity of views and identites
