A levels Cambridge Assessment Exams notes
SOCIOLOGY- MEDIA
Syllabus task: the conflicts between Pluralist and Marxist views of the media, including
the views of both traditional Marxism and Neo-Marxism.
PLURALIST VIEWS OF THE MEDIA:
According to Pluralist, it is the audience who controls the
media rather than the owners. Unlike, Marxism, pluralists At this level, students are
required to insert day-to-day
invert the pyramid of power: audience, editors/journalists, examples.
and Owners. In other words, Media content is shaped by
This paragraph mentions
consumer demands in the marketplace. Power is seen to be
politically influential
spread out among audiences rather than concentrated. This newspapers like “The Sun”
is because the public can exercise ‘choice’; the right to buy or “The Guardian” as well as
and not to buy. If one does not like the style of “The supports the argument that
it is the audience’s taste and
Sun”, the latter can buy “The Guardian” or “Socialist
attraction to a product that
Worker”. If media owners spread messages on tv, radio, increases its popularity as
and social media that their consumers do not like, they will emphasised by the
simply stop consuming the products and the media will go examples that the iPhone is
now a globally-targeted
out of business. This ‘discipline of the marketplace’ is
device.
summed up by Whale: “it is the readers who determine the
character of the newspapers”. For example, BBC is
becoming more commercialized and populist to fit the demands of their viewers and the
blackberry has fallen to the iPhone.
According to Pluralist reflection theory, mass media opens a “window to the world” that
reflects the opinions of the viewers and listeners. Graham Thomas argues that media do
not create people’s attitudes but simply reflect and reinforce them. So, bias occurs
because it simply reflects what the audiences think. In the Daily Express, it was
reported that since people from Britain were against mass immigration, they
continuously published articles about migrants robbing or their criminal activities.
Globalization results from the need to find new audiences rather than cultural
imperialism. In democratic free market companies, Owners compete to win market share
and create profit which in turn produces innovation and diversity. Therefore, the
variety of large mediums like television, radio, press, films and especially new media are
used by diverse competing interest groups like Disney, CNN, BBC, and Universal
Pictures to fulfil the diversification of demands from audiences so as to make maximum
profit.
The mass media, especially with new media is an essential part of the democratic
process because the electorate today gleans most of their knowledge of political
literacy from newspapers and television. Owners, editors, and journalists are
trustworthy managers and protectors of this process as they allow different interest
groups the opportunity to voice themselves out. For
Democracy is an important
theme today which will
, instance, Brexit happened because parties got their views across to millions of voters
with the media. Barack Obama, whose race was marginalized, used YouTube to pass on
his political views to his 5 million followers, securing his Presidential nomination in 2008.
The concentration of ownership is also a product of economic rationality rather than
political, sinister motives. Since they are driven by profit, they need to keep costs low.
Amazon with its cheap products and peer reviews of products provide people access to
consumer goods and information easily at good prices; which the reason why it is one of
the biggest media company worldwide.
It is practically impossible for Owners to interfere with the content of the newspapers
and television programmes because their businesses are economically far too complex for
them to regularly control the day-to-day running and content. The power of media
Owners is restricted by the state. Editors, journalists, broadcasters have a strong
sense of professional ethics which act as a system of check that keep potential Owners
from abusing their dominion over mediatisation. This professionalism constrains the
power of the Owners. The News has commentators from different political parties
suggesting that the people are well represented. Many countries have cross-ownership
rules preventing people from owning more than one type of media. Newspapers,
television and radio in Britain are subjected to legal control imposed on them by The
Press Council and Office for Communication. Public Service Broadcasters in democratic
societies have a regulatory function of ensuring that all sections of society are catered
for. A significant share of the media market in Britain is taken up by PSB which makes
it a legal obligation for media like BBC to inform, educate and ensure that all
programming is pluralistic and diverse. PSB balances any potential bias both in the public
and private sectors. A variety of media reflecting a range of different viewpoints
means that activities of the powerful can be scrutinized which therefore makes media a
form of social control Investigative journalism such as Tabloids has a good reputation
for uncovering abuses of power among the running elite. During the election in 2020, it
was found that Trump was using Twitter to increase racism and mob shaming to gain
higher votes.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
There are many examples of where powerful lobby groups representing different
sections of society have been successful in influencing the decisions taken by media
organisations.
Digital optimists argue that the new media has provided powerful new means for
individual citizens and protest groups to oppose established authorities (such as the
ruling class) and argue for changes in society that benefit the less privileged and the
poor.
MARXIST VIEWS OF THE MEDIA:
SOCIOLOGY- MEDIA
Syllabus task: the conflicts between Pluralist and Marxist views of the media, including
the views of both traditional Marxism and Neo-Marxism.
PLURALIST VIEWS OF THE MEDIA:
According to Pluralist, it is the audience who controls the
media rather than the owners. Unlike, Marxism, pluralists At this level, students are
required to insert day-to-day
invert the pyramid of power: audience, editors/journalists, examples.
and Owners. In other words, Media content is shaped by
This paragraph mentions
consumer demands in the marketplace. Power is seen to be
politically influential
spread out among audiences rather than concentrated. This newspapers like “The Sun”
is because the public can exercise ‘choice’; the right to buy or “The Guardian” as well as
and not to buy. If one does not like the style of “The supports the argument that
it is the audience’s taste and
Sun”, the latter can buy “The Guardian” or “Socialist
attraction to a product that
Worker”. If media owners spread messages on tv, radio, increases its popularity as
and social media that their consumers do not like, they will emphasised by the
simply stop consuming the products and the media will go examples that the iPhone is
now a globally-targeted
out of business. This ‘discipline of the marketplace’ is
device.
summed up by Whale: “it is the readers who determine the
character of the newspapers”. For example, BBC is
becoming more commercialized and populist to fit the demands of their viewers and the
blackberry has fallen to the iPhone.
According to Pluralist reflection theory, mass media opens a “window to the world” that
reflects the opinions of the viewers and listeners. Graham Thomas argues that media do
not create people’s attitudes but simply reflect and reinforce them. So, bias occurs
because it simply reflects what the audiences think. In the Daily Express, it was
reported that since people from Britain were against mass immigration, they
continuously published articles about migrants robbing or their criminal activities.
Globalization results from the need to find new audiences rather than cultural
imperialism. In democratic free market companies, Owners compete to win market share
and create profit which in turn produces innovation and diversity. Therefore, the
variety of large mediums like television, radio, press, films and especially new media are
used by diverse competing interest groups like Disney, CNN, BBC, and Universal
Pictures to fulfil the diversification of demands from audiences so as to make maximum
profit.
The mass media, especially with new media is an essential part of the democratic
process because the electorate today gleans most of their knowledge of political
literacy from newspapers and television. Owners, editors, and journalists are
trustworthy managers and protectors of this process as they allow different interest
groups the opportunity to voice themselves out. For
Democracy is an important
theme today which will
, instance, Brexit happened because parties got their views across to millions of voters
with the media. Barack Obama, whose race was marginalized, used YouTube to pass on
his political views to his 5 million followers, securing his Presidential nomination in 2008.
The concentration of ownership is also a product of economic rationality rather than
political, sinister motives. Since they are driven by profit, they need to keep costs low.
Amazon with its cheap products and peer reviews of products provide people access to
consumer goods and information easily at good prices; which the reason why it is one of
the biggest media company worldwide.
It is practically impossible for Owners to interfere with the content of the newspapers
and television programmes because their businesses are economically far too complex for
them to regularly control the day-to-day running and content. The power of media
Owners is restricted by the state. Editors, journalists, broadcasters have a strong
sense of professional ethics which act as a system of check that keep potential Owners
from abusing their dominion over mediatisation. This professionalism constrains the
power of the Owners. The News has commentators from different political parties
suggesting that the people are well represented. Many countries have cross-ownership
rules preventing people from owning more than one type of media. Newspapers,
television and radio in Britain are subjected to legal control imposed on them by The
Press Council and Office for Communication. Public Service Broadcasters in democratic
societies have a regulatory function of ensuring that all sections of society are catered
for. A significant share of the media market in Britain is taken up by PSB which makes
it a legal obligation for media like BBC to inform, educate and ensure that all
programming is pluralistic and diverse. PSB balances any potential bias both in the public
and private sectors. A variety of media reflecting a range of different viewpoints
means that activities of the powerful can be scrutinized which therefore makes media a
form of social control Investigative journalism such as Tabloids has a good reputation
for uncovering abuses of power among the running elite. During the election in 2020, it
was found that Trump was using Twitter to increase racism and mob shaming to gain
higher votes.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
There are many examples of where powerful lobby groups representing different
sections of society have been successful in influencing the decisions taken by media
organisations.
Digital optimists argue that the new media has provided powerful new means for
individual citizens and protest groups to oppose established authorities (such as the
ruling class) and argue for changes in society that benefit the less privileged and the
poor.
MARXIST VIEWS OF THE MEDIA:
