Control of the Mass Media

1. Control of the Mass Media

2. Affect and effect???? • Read through your handout The word effect, in contrast, is used primarily as a noun in English. It has a number of related meanings, but generally speaking refers to the result of something, the power something might have to get that result, or a phenomenon in the world. An example, The election had no effect on the course of history. We might also say: The effect of the painting on him was profound. Phenomena are often also referred to as effects, the greenhouse effect.

3. Control of the Mass Media 3 main areas Traditional Marxist- manipulative/instrumental approach Neo-Marxist- Dominant ideology/hegemonic approach Pluralist + Liberal + Radical

4. Traditional Marxist(manipulative/instrumental approach) • Sentence cut ups, order the words in the 5 sentences to summarise this approach • Complete your worksheet with strengths weaknesses of this approach using the following hints and discussion to help you. Must 1 Should 2 Could 3

5. Strengths/ support • Rupert Murdoch – Iraq war • Editorial control • Concentration of media ownership • Journalists careers

6. Weaknesses • Wide range of media options • Owners concern with profits • State does regulate media – by law must be impartial • Audiences are not completely passive

7. Neo Marxist - Dominant ideology/hegemonic approach • Read through your handout on this approach • Create your own hand out summarising the information in whatever way is best for you • A3 Poster • A4 mind map • Create an acronym for the main terms • Rap/Poem 

8. Questions • Use the question stems to create 3 higher order questions on the topics we have covered in today’s lesson • Decide how marks are allocated for each question out of a total of 15

9. Lesson 2

10. Recap Traditional Marxist & Neo Marxist • Work in pairs to complete the questions you created last lesson • Write the answers on your worksheet • Peer mark the answers – give a final grade • A Strength and a target

11. The Pluralist Approach • Both the Marxist & Neo-Marxist approaches assume those who control and work in the media shape their content spreading the dominant ideology. • Pluralist approach is very different • Pluralists suggest their is no dominant ruling class, but many competing groups with different interests

12. According to the pluralist approach: • Owners do not have direct control over the content of the media • There is no single dominant class, but a wide range of competing groups in society with different interests • Media content is driven not by an ideology or the interests of owners but by a circulation, audience figures and the search for profits.

13. According to the pluralist approach: 4) The mass media are generally free from any government or direct ownership and an present whatever point they want. 5) The media are controlled by media managers who allow journalists a great deal of freedom 6)There is no dominant ideology or ruling class bias, journalists provide what the audiences want, they have the freedom to accept, reject or ignore the media content.

14. Strengths & weaknesses • Around the room are statements relating to this approach • Decide whether they are strengths or weaknesses and write them in the correct section of your worksheet

15. Strengths / support for the pluralist approach • There is a wide range of newspapers, magazines, television channels and other media reflecting a huge range of interests and ideas including those which challenge the dominant ideology • The diversity of media enables investigative reporting to take place which can scrutinise and challenge the power and interests of the dominant class.

16. Strengths / support for the pluralist approach • Journalists are not simply the pawns of their employers, but have some professional and editorial honesty and independence, and often criticise the dominant ideology. • The fight for audiences in competition with other companies means that the mass media have to cater for audience tastes – newspapers and TV channels have to be responsive to their audiences, otherwise they’ll go out of business.

17. Weaknesses • Journalists have some freedom however editors are controlled and appointed by owners. News is collected by a few news companies and agencies, often paid for by the media owners themselves. • Media owners strongly influence who is appointed at senior levels of the media and top managers, editors and owners often share a similar outlook on the world.

18. Weaknesses • Not all groups in society have equal influence on editors and journalists to get their views across. It is the rich, powerful and influential who are more likely to be interviewed on TV/quoted in newspapers. • The owners have on numerous occasions sacked uncooperative editors, and governments and rich individuals have used political or legal pressure to stop newspaper stories, books or programmes which threaten their interests.

19. Sociology factsheet • Read through the questions on the last page of your handout • In 3’s answer 2 questions each • Feedback your answers to each other –complete all 6 questions in your handout

20. ESSAY FEEDBACK – Media regulation

21. ‘The Media is regulated to protect the public from biased and inappropriate media’. To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view?

22. Targets & Comment • Read through your essay and your feedback • Note what part of your essay the targets apply to. • Complete the new targets and comment section of your feedback sheet

23. Grades • A – 26 • B - 23 • C - 20 • D - 16 • E - 13

24. Essay coversheet • Compete the box on the front cover using the essay that you were given at the start of the lesson • Name, essay title and targets sections • Add your TMG & your last grade • When you hand this in also complete the 4th section of that box

25. Homework • ‘Critically assess the pluralist view of the mass media’ (33 marks) • Due Monday March 21st