Ownership & Control Flashcards
(83 cards)
1
Q
What are 4 formal controls on the media?
A
- The law
- OFCOM
- BBC Trust / Royal Charter
- IPSO
2
Q
3 ways in which the government try to control and influence the media?
A
- Official and unofficial press conferences
- Spin doctors
- Surveillance of communications e.g social media
3
Q
Who coined the term ‘Lords of the global village’?
A
Bagdikikian
4
Q
Who are the lords of the global village?
A
A small group of media companies that dominate the world’s mass media e.g Rupert Murdoch
5
Q
What does concentration of ownership mean?
A
Most of the world’s media are owned by a small group of individuals
6
Q
What is vertical integration?
A
When a company owns all stage in the production and distribution of the media product
7
Q
What is horizontal integration?
A
A media company will expand, often by buying or merging with competitors in a similar section of the market with them
8
Q
What does global ownership mean?
A
Media companies have empires with interests(branches of the company) in many different companies
9
Q
What is a conglomerate?
A
Companies that own media companies as well as businesses that are unrelated to the media business e.g Virgin Media also own airlines, financial services etc.
10
Q
What is synergy?
A
When a media company produces, promotes and sells a product in a variety of forms, usually through the media conglomerate
11
Q
What is technological convergence?
A
Where several media technologies are combined in a single device e.g smart phone
12
Q
Ownership
A
The act, state, or right of possessing something.
13
Q
Control
A
The power to influence or direct people’s behaviour
14
Q
Traditional Media
A
Refers which to the traditional forms of media, such as print media television and radio.
15
Q
New Media
A
Media that use digital technology and the internet
16
Q
Ofcom
A
Government approved media regulator that is responsible for television, radio, telecommunications
17
Q
Diversification
A
Media company branching out to non-media
18
Q
Media Moguls
A
An individual who owns a significant share of a media company
19
Q
News Values
A
The values and assumptions held by the editor / journalist which guide them to decide what is newsworthy
20
Q
Agenda-setting
A
The power to manage which issues ae presented to the public
21
Q
Gatekeeping
A
The power to limit access to something useful or valuable
22
Q
The laws of libel
A
Forbids the publication of an untrue statement about a
person
23
Q
How many billionaires own how much of the UK media?
A
5 billionaires own 80% of the UK media
23
Q
Name the 5 billionaires who own 80% of the UK media.
A
- Rupert Murdoch
- Richard Desmond
- Viscount Rothermere
- Barclay Brothers
24
What percentage of the UK newspaper market is owned by News UK, Daily Mail and General Trust, and Reach PLC?
Over 70%
25
Name the US media giant that owns Channel 5 in the UK
Viacom
26
Which UK media organization is the largest state broadcaster?
BBC
27
Discuss the ownership status of Channel 4 in the UK.
Channel 4 is publicly owned, with ongoing discussions about potential privatization.
28
What does Curran point out about the concentration of media ownership overtime?
- Media ownership has always been concentrated
- In 1937 4 men owned approximately 50% of all newspapers nationwide including local newspapers
29
What is the overall Marxist idea on ownership and control of the media?
Those who own the media also control it
30
Who do Marxists argue own the media and how do they control it?
The bourgeoisie who control the editors and journalists to put across the dominant ideology to the audience.
31
What is the purpose of media owners spreading the dominant ideology?
Creates a false class conciousness
32
What is the idea of direct control by owners sometimes described as and who is the associated sociologist?
- Manipulative or instrumental approach
- Ralph Miliband
33
Explain Miliband's argument about ownership and control
The editors and journalists depend on the owners for their jobs and therefore will publish what the owners want and not use any apparent autonomy to resist the dissemination of bourgeois ideology.
34
Give an example to support Miliband's argument
- 'It's the Sun wot won it'
- All 175 global newspapers owned by Murdoch were pro-Iraq war which was in line with his view
35
What has Curran found to support the idea that owners directly manipulate media content?
There is alot more Conservative supporting newspapers than those that are critical of the party, suggesting a reflection in the owners interest.
36
How does Pluralist, James Whale criticise the Marxists idea of ownership and control of the media?
Media moguls are busy dealing with global business matters rather than what story to run in a particular national newspaper
37
What is the Pluralist response to the Marxist idea of Greenslade "why would you own a newspaper if not to try and put across your opinion?"
The aim of the media owners is to make money than their interest in the content of the media does not relate to ideology or politics but instead to what will sell.
38
What is the neo-marxist evaluation of the Marxist view that owners have direct control of the content of the media?
They don't have the time to micro-manage the media content.
39
Overall what do neo-marxists argue in relation to ownership and control of the media?
The media spreads dominant ideology through the editors and journalists bourgeoisie background rather than the micro-management of owners.
40
Why would media owners employ editors and journalists from a bourgeoisie background?
Their opinions and values are a good fit with their own which means there is no need to micromanage the organisation as the dominat ideology will be spread naturally through them.
41
What does GUMG stand for?
The Glasgow University Media Group
42
What did the GUMG find in the 1970s about the background of journalists?
The majority where white, middle-class men
43
What did the GUMG find about the objectivity and neutrality of the media?
When the media is apparently attempting to be neutral and objective, they identified multiple examples of the media taking the side of the powerful
44
According to the GUMG how is the background and journalists taking the side of the powerful when aiming to be objective related?
The journalists will tend to be from traditionally conservative backgrounds
45
Has the social diversity of journalists changed?
No
46
Owen Jones found what % of journalists in Britain were privately educated?
51%
47
Owen Jones found what % of journalists in Britain went to a comprehensive school compared to the % of readers?
- 19% of journalists
- 90% of readers
48
Owen Jones found what % of journalists in Britain are white?
94%
49
Owen Jones found what % of journalists in Britain were men?
55%
50
Did Jones' argue that the social diversity of journalists is getting better or worse?
Worse due to the decline of local newspapers which was a route many working-class people entered journalism through
51
What is the neo-marxist idea that the working class are persuaded to accept the ruling class ideology as normal and common sense?
Hegemonic approach
52
Which sociologist named it 'hegemony'?
Gramsci
53
Through hegemony how does bourgeois ideology become viewed as compared to other views?
Common sense and alternative views as extremist or ridiculous
54
The GUMG also acknowledge that the hegemonic approach is down to commercial considerations, explain this.
Through using the hegemonic approach, fewer readers or viewers will take offence which means they will continue to have a wide audience that buys their media.
55
How does the concept of hegemony apply to the neo-Marxist view of media?
Hegemony suggests the ruling class uses media to subtly control ideas and values, making inequality seem natural and preventing resistance.
56
How does the pluralist James Whale criticise the neo-marxist view on ownership and control?
Pluralists argue that media reflects audience demands, not owner ideology, and that diverse views are available for those who seek them
57
What example challenges the idea that journalists always reflect owner views?
Dennis Skinner recalled Daily Express journalists cheering striking miners, despite the paper’s anti-union stance, suggesting journalists may not fully reflect owner ideology.
58
Why is it difficult to prove the neo-Marxist claim that media maintains hegemony?
()
59
How do pluralists explain dominant values in the media?
They argue dominant values exist because that’s what the audience wants—not because owners impose them
60
How Pluralists would challenge the neo-marxists view in regards to alternative media?
There are diverse media outlets offering different viewpoints, suggesting audiences aren’t just passive victims of hegemony.
61
What idea about ownership and control do pluralists reject?
That media moguls and press barons control media content
62
What do pluralists argue about editors and journalists in rejection of Marxist ideas?
They are professionals with ethics and integrity who would not allow themselves to be manipulated by owners in the way suggested by Marxists and neo-Marxists.
63
Are pluralists concerned about the concentration of media ownership and why?
- No
- Not a sinister ideological plot but instead an example of rational economics
64
Explain the pluralist view that the concentration of media ownership makes rational economic sense
Companies want to maximize profits and minimize costs, and the formation of conglomerates, horizontal and vertical integration and globalization of media companies facilitates this.
65
When would pluralists be concerned about the concentration of media ownership?
If it led to a complete monopoly as their theory depends on there being genuine choice for consumers.
66
Who do pluralists argue controls the media?
- The audience
- Not the owners or journalists
67
Explain the pluralist view that the audience controls the media in 5 bullet points
- In a free market, media outlets must meet audience preferences to stay competitive
- New media has expanded the range of available views and content
- Audiences now have more choice and control over what they consume
- Media companies must adapt to these demands to keep their audience
-This gives the public significant influence over media content
68
Which group of sociologists would argue that media is demand led and explain this view?
- Pluralists
- Media can only survive if they generate an audience
69
Why do pluralists believe it is important that media is demand-led?
- Essential for modern liberal democracy
- Essential that the audience is able to be informed by the media rather than indoctrinated
70
How do Barnett and Weymour evaluate the Pluralist idea about the range of choice?
- The fallacy of choice
- There isn't actually greater choice but instead lots of the same thing
- People choose one paper rather than another due to branding or the show due to the presenter
71
Barnett and Weymour argue what process leads to further false class conciousness?
- Dumbing down of media content
- Focus on visually appealing, unchallenging entertainment
- Programme makers target the lowest common denominator
- Aim to attract large audiences and satisfy advertisers
- This distracts the working class from real social and economic issues
72
The GUMG criticise the BBC despite being state owned, how?
The BBC's hierarchy is made up of wealthy, white men with (small c) conservative views and therefore do not need to be state-directed to produce media content that largely supports a conservative outlook and marginalizes radical or alternative viewpoints.
73
The officials secrets act
It is a criminal offence to report without authorisation any official government activity that is defined as a government secret
74
Defence and security media advisory notices
Journalists not report defence or counter-terrorism information which the government believes might be damaging to national security
75
The racial and religious hatred act 2009
Forbids the expression of opinions which will encourage hatred or discrimination against people because of race
76
The Obscene Publications Act 1959
Forbids the publication of anything that the court considers obscene or indecent
77
Contempt of Court
Forbids reporting in a way that could jeopardize a fair trial
78
What is the BBC Royal Charter in 6 points?
- Aims to serve the public interest
- Provides impartial, high-quality, and distinctive content
- Informs, educates, and entertains all audiences
- Ensures BBC’s independence from government
- Protects editorial and artistic freedom
- Safeguards the licence fee as its unique funding model
79
What do pluralists and cultural optimists argue has weakened owners control of the media?
Citizen journalism
80
Trends in Media ownership: Bagdikian research of news media
- 1983: 50 corporations
- 1992: 22 corporations
- 2017: 6 corporations
81
How do feminists criticise pluralist ideas on the ownership and control?
They criticise the male dominated media ownership which limits female representation and diversity
82
Norm-setting
The media can influence what behaviors are seen as normal or acceptable in society.
