Media A2 Notes:
Power In Media:
1)Media Is Controlled:
1. Limited Access to Media
● Only a small group of people have access to media production and
distribution.
● These individuals can control what media content is created and shared.
● Example: In the U.S., major media companies like Disney, Warner Bros.,
and Comcast dominate media production, limiting diverse representation.
● Example:
In response to Twitter’s refusal to block certain protest-related content
during the 2021 Indian farmers’ protests, the Indian government promoted
Koo, an Indian-made alternative.While Twitter became a site of protest,
pressures from the state, corporate interests, and regulations limited
its function.Simultaneously, many users, especially from rural or
less-privileged communities, lacked access to Twitter, due to:
Language barriers (Twitter wasn't localised well)
Digital illiteracy
Platform restrictions (shadow banning, algorithm bias)
2. Influential Figures in Media
● Who controls the media?
○ Large corporations (e.g., Netflix, Disney, ViacomCBS).
○ Governments (e.g., North Korea's strict media censorship).
○ Wealthy individuals (e.g., Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter/X).
● How do they influence media?
, ○ Decide what news, entertainment, and advertisements are
published.
○ Influence political views, societal trends, and public perception.
● Effects on Media Texts
○ Content becomes biased or censored.
○ Lack of diversity in perspectives.
○ Example: Fox News often aligns with conservative viewpoints,
shaping political discourse.Fox has been criticized for spreading
misinformation, especially regarding COVID-19, voter fraud claims
in the 2020 U.S. election, and climate denial.
● Effects on the Audience
○ People consume controlled narratives.
○ Misinformation and propaganda become widespread.
○ Example: Russian state media shapes public opinion through
selective news coverage.
○ Case Study 1: “Navalny” (2022)
○ This Oscar-winning documentary reveals how Russian state media
censors opposition voices by erasing Alexei Navalny from public
discourse and pushing disinformation through outlets like RT and
Channel One. It highlights limited access to free media,
suppression of platforms like YouTube and Telegram, and the
danger of state-controlled narratives. The film shows how digital
media becomes a resistance tool while traditional media is
weaponized by the state.
🎭
○
○ Case Study 2: “The Crimea Bridge. Made with Love!” (2018)
○ A state-funded romantic comedy about the construction of the
Crimean Bridge — a symbol of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The
, film romanticizes a politically controversial infrastructure
project, framing it as a light-hearted, patriotic love story. Critics
noted that it functioned as soft propaganda, using entertainment
to normalize and legitimize Russia's actions in Crimea, especially
to younger audiences.
○
3. Media Control in Different Countries
United States
● Media is owned by a few large conglomerates (Disney, AT&T, Comcast,
etc.).
● Government has minimal direct control but corporations influence public
opinion.
North Korea
● Media is fully controlled by the government.
● No private media ownership.
● Case Study: The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (2020, dir. Mads
Brügger)
● Genre: Investigative Documentary
Origin: Danish production
Platform: BBC, DR, and festivals
Timeframe: Covers activity over 10 years, released in 2020
📌
●
● What it’s about:
● This undercover documentary follows a Danish ex-cook turned spy, who
infiltrates North Korea’s international business networks. It uncovers how
the North Korean regime uses front companies and media manipulation
to illegally sell weapons and drugs, all while projecting a clean image
through its state-controlled media.
How it reveals media manipulation:
, 1. Double Reality:
North Korea presents itself as peaceful and lawful via its media — but the
film shows secret attempts to violate UN sanctions, proving the
disconnect between propaganda and reality.
2. Image Control:
Throughout the film, any North Korean presence is heavily staged.
Handlers curate how the country is presented, monitoring all filming,
staging meetings, and controlling dialogue.
3. Global Media Strategy:
The documentary highlights how North Korea tries to use foreign
collaborators to push favorable narratives in global media — manipulating
not only domestic media but also attempting international media
influence.
Relevant Theory Links:
● Stuart Hall – Encoding/Decoding: Only the state-approved reading is
allowed inside North Korea; oppositional voices are criminalized.
● Hegemony – Gramsci: The documentary shows how the regime
constructs a hegemonic national identity of loyalty and strength through
controlled visuals and rhetoric.
● Curran & Seaton: Media in North Korea exists solely to serve state
ideology, with no diversity or alternative narratives allowed — a total
contrast to liberal models.
TASK ANSWERS
1. Who are the influential figures in media?
Power In Media:
1)Media Is Controlled:
1. Limited Access to Media
● Only a small group of people have access to media production and
distribution.
● These individuals can control what media content is created and shared.
● Example: In the U.S., major media companies like Disney, Warner Bros.,
and Comcast dominate media production, limiting diverse representation.
● Example:
In response to Twitter’s refusal to block certain protest-related content
during the 2021 Indian farmers’ protests, the Indian government promoted
Koo, an Indian-made alternative.While Twitter became a site of protest,
pressures from the state, corporate interests, and regulations limited
its function.Simultaneously, many users, especially from rural or
less-privileged communities, lacked access to Twitter, due to:
Language barriers (Twitter wasn't localised well)
Digital illiteracy
Platform restrictions (shadow banning, algorithm bias)
2. Influential Figures in Media
● Who controls the media?
○ Large corporations (e.g., Netflix, Disney, ViacomCBS).
○ Governments (e.g., North Korea's strict media censorship).
○ Wealthy individuals (e.g., Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter/X).
● How do they influence media?
, ○ Decide what news, entertainment, and advertisements are
published.
○ Influence political views, societal trends, and public perception.
● Effects on Media Texts
○ Content becomes biased or censored.
○ Lack of diversity in perspectives.
○ Example: Fox News often aligns with conservative viewpoints,
shaping political discourse.Fox has been criticized for spreading
misinformation, especially regarding COVID-19, voter fraud claims
in the 2020 U.S. election, and climate denial.
● Effects on the Audience
○ People consume controlled narratives.
○ Misinformation and propaganda become widespread.
○ Example: Russian state media shapes public opinion through
selective news coverage.
○ Case Study 1: “Navalny” (2022)
○ This Oscar-winning documentary reveals how Russian state media
censors opposition voices by erasing Alexei Navalny from public
discourse and pushing disinformation through outlets like RT and
Channel One. It highlights limited access to free media,
suppression of platforms like YouTube and Telegram, and the
danger of state-controlled narratives. The film shows how digital
media becomes a resistance tool while traditional media is
weaponized by the state.
🎭
○
○ Case Study 2: “The Crimea Bridge. Made with Love!” (2018)
○ A state-funded romantic comedy about the construction of the
Crimean Bridge — a symbol of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The
, film romanticizes a politically controversial infrastructure
project, framing it as a light-hearted, patriotic love story. Critics
noted that it functioned as soft propaganda, using entertainment
to normalize and legitimize Russia's actions in Crimea, especially
to younger audiences.
○
3. Media Control in Different Countries
United States
● Media is owned by a few large conglomerates (Disney, AT&T, Comcast,
etc.).
● Government has minimal direct control but corporations influence public
opinion.
North Korea
● Media is fully controlled by the government.
● No private media ownership.
● Case Study: The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (2020, dir. Mads
Brügger)
● Genre: Investigative Documentary
Origin: Danish production
Platform: BBC, DR, and festivals
Timeframe: Covers activity over 10 years, released in 2020
📌
●
● What it’s about:
● This undercover documentary follows a Danish ex-cook turned spy, who
infiltrates North Korea’s international business networks. It uncovers how
the North Korean regime uses front companies and media manipulation
to illegally sell weapons and drugs, all while projecting a clean image
through its state-controlled media.
How it reveals media manipulation:
, 1. Double Reality:
North Korea presents itself as peaceful and lawful via its media — but the
film shows secret attempts to violate UN sanctions, proving the
disconnect between propaganda and reality.
2. Image Control:
Throughout the film, any North Korean presence is heavily staged.
Handlers curate how the country is presented, monitoring all filming,
staging meetings, and controlling dialogue.
3. Global Media Strategy:
The documentary highlights how North Korea tries to use foreign
collaborators to push favorable narratives in global media — manipulating
not only domestic media but also attempting international media
influence.
Relevant Theory Links:
● Stuart Hall – Encoding/Decoding: Only the state-approved reading is
allowed inside North Korea; oppositional voices are criminalized.
● Hegemony – Gramsci: The documentary shows how the regime
constructs a hegemonic national identity of loyalty and strength through
controlled visuals and rhetoric.
● Curran & Seaton: Media in North Korea exists solely to serve state
ideology, with no diversity or alternative narratives allowed — a total
contrast to liberal models.
TASK ANSWERS
1. Who are the influential figures in media?
