Ownership and Control of the Media 14/06/2022
The Mass Media= Those forms of communication that transmit information, news and
entertainment to mass audiences
Traditional Media New Media
● Communicates information in ● Interactive, screen based, digital
one-way technology
● Non-interactive process ● Integration of images/texts/sound
● Assumes that audiences are ● Audiences are diverse and there’s
homogeneous and characterised by more choice
less choice
● Forms include, radio, newspapers,
magazines and books
● All newspapers have a certain political bias
● Right wing is Conservative
● Left wing is Liberal
Ownership of TV Media in the UK:
● ITV, Channel 5, Sky, Virgin and BT are all privately owned companies funded through
advertising and fees
● BBC and Channel 4 are state owned Public Service Broadcasters which are funded
through licence fees (BBC) and advertising (Channel 4). Both have remits that they
must adhere to in order to ensure the quality of their programming
● TV channels are losing viewers to streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime
and Disney+.
● In order to appeal to mass audiences, all the main TV channels have on demand
services (iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4) where catch up is available as well as diversifying
main channels
Ownership of the Print Media in the UK:
● Concentrated in the hands of a few powerful individuals
● 90% of the most widely read national and sunday newspapers are controlled by just
4 companies (NewsUK, DMGT, Reach and Telegraph Media Group) or 4 Powerful
billionaires and 1 company (Rupert Murdoch, Lord Rothermere and the Barclay
Brothers)
Concentration of Ownership= Where fewer individuals or organisations own increasingly
large sections of the media- potentially threatening media freedom
, The US Media:
● In 1983, 90% of the US media was owned by 50 different companies
● By 2012, 90% of the US media was owned by 6 companies
● These are Comcast, NewsCorp, Disney, Viacom, Times Warner and CBS
The Concentration of Media Ownership Happens in Several Ways:
Horizontal Integration= Owning different types of media
Vertical Integration= Increasing economic control over all aspects of the production process
in order to maximise profits
Global Conglomeration= Operating in a global market
Synergy= Taking one item in the media and repacking it in different formats to maximise
profits
Diversification/Lateral Expansion= Media companies branch out into non-media areas
Technological Convergence= Having everything in one place
Why Does This Matter to Sociologists?
● Most of our taken for granted knowledge, opinions and attitudes are based not on
personal experience but on evidence and knowledge provided by the mass media
● If the media didn’t report an event or distorted it or made it up, how would you know?
● The media shapes, colours and even constructs our view of the world
There are 3 Ways of Controlling Media:
1. Government Influence
2. Formal Control
3. Day to Day Control
Government Influence:
● Official Government Press Conferences- Present the government’s position on
certain issues, hoping it will be covered by the media
● Leaks and off the record Briefings- Journalists from the “Non-Official” sources from
the government. Those who present the government in a positive way are likely to be
given preferential treatment in the future
● Spin Doctors- Try to manipulate the media by providing a favourable slant on
unpopular/ controversial news or they attempt to bury the bad news
● Surveillance- Emails, websites and social media. Since 2014 the police have been
allowed to scrutinise people’s communication on these sites
The Mass Media= Those forms of communication that transmit information, news and
entertainment to mass audiences
Traditional Media New Media
● Communicates information in ● Interactive, screen based, digital
one-way technology
● Non-interactive process ● Integration of images/texts/sound
● Assumes that audiences are ● Audiences are diverse and there’s
homogeneous and characterised by more choice
less choice
● Forms include, radio, newspapers,
magazines and books
● All newspapers have a certain political bias
● Right wing is Conservative
● Left wing is Liberal
Ownership of TV Media in the UK:
● ITV, Channel 5, Sky, Virgin and BT are all privately owned companies funded through
advertising and fees
● BBC and Channel 4 are state owned Public Service Broadcasters which are funded
through licence fees (BBC) and advertising (Channel 4). Both have remits that they
must adhere to in order to ensure the quality of their programming
● TV channels are losing viewers to streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime
and Disney+.
● In order to appeal to mass audiences, all the main TV channels have on demand
services (iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4) where catch up is available as well as diversifying
main channels
Ownership of the Print Media in the UK:
● Concentrated in the hands of a few powerful individuals
● 90% of the most widely read national and sunday newspapers are controlled by just
4 companies (NewsUK, DMGT, Reach and Telegraph Media Group) or 4 Powerful
billionaires and 1 company (Rupert Murdoch, Lord Rothermere and the Barclay
Brothers)
Concentration of Ownership= Where fewer individuals or organisations own increasingly
large sections of the media- potentially threatening media freedom
, The US Media:
● In 1983, 90% of the US media was owned by 50 different companies
● By 2012, 90% of the US media was owned by 6 companies
● These are Comcast, NewsCorp, Disney, Viacom, Times Warner and CBS
The Concentration of Media Ownership Happens in Several Ways:
Horizontal Integration= Owning different types of media
Vertical Integration= Increasing economic control over all aspects of the production process
in order to maximise profits
Global Conglomeration= Operating in a global market
Synergy= Taking one item in the media and repacking it in different formats to maximise
profits
Diversification/Lateral Expansion= Media companies branch out into non-media areas
Technological Convergence= Having everything in one place
Why Does This Matter to Sociologists?
● Most of our taken for granted knowledge, opinions and attitudes are based not on
personal experience but on evidence and knowledge provided by the mass media
● If the media didn’t report an event or distorted it or made it up, how would you know?
● The media shapes, colours and even constructs our view of the world
There are 3 Ways of Controlling Media:
1. Government Influence
2. Formal Control
3. Day to Day Control
Government Influence:
● Official Government Press Conferences- Present the government’s position on
certain issues, hoping it will be covered by the media
● Leaks and off the record Briefings- Journalists from the “Non-Official” sources from
the government. Those who present the government in a positive way are likely to be
given preferential treatment in the future
● Spin Doctors- Try to manipulate the media by providing a favourable slant on
unpopular/ controversial news or they attempt to bury the bad news
● Surveillance- Emails, websites and social media. Since 2014 the police have been
allowed to scrutinise people’s communication on these sites
