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Instrumental Marxists- Media Ownership and Control - Coggle Diagram
Instrumental Marxists- Media Ownership and Control
Role of Ideology (Traditional Marxists)
Althusser
: Media is a part of the
ideological state apparatus.
It allows for ideological control over the population, which in turn ensures that profits are protected as it legitimises the economic base. This maintains false class consciousness and allows for the dominant ideology to prevail, furthering control.
The media is owned and controlled by a very small group of people- it is concentrated in the hands of the bourgeoisie= very narrow range of media and material is broadcast and published. They directly control and manipulate media content, and thus the audience itself.
Mass media is an institution that controls the masses through transmitting the dominant ideology- ideology of the bourgeoisie
Manipulation of Media
Curran
1951-1974
: Greater editorial and journalistic autonomy= era of investigative reporting by journalists into the abuses of power. However, owners still insisted their newspapers supported particular political ideologies and parties.
1974-1992:
More interventionist ownership, symbolised by Murdoch- orientated towards what SOLD rather than what furthered a party/ ideology. Shifted his papers to the right as he believed right-wing economic policies were key to making profits. Dubbed "Phantom PM" as his papers echoed Thatcher's policies.
1920-50:
Press Barons such as Lord Beaverbrook, owner of The Express newspaper group, openly stated their ideological intentions: "I run the Daily Express merely for the purpose of making propaganda with no other motive"
1997- :
media ownership based on 'global conservatism' as British newspapers moved into global marketplace. Murdoch abandoned Tories for Blair's New Labour, not because he agreed with the policies, but because Blair promised to remove state control that prevented cross-media ownership= media owners and politicians worked together to win an election and personal gain
Analysed the British press, found strong evidence of owner interference and manipulation of UK newspaper content, leading to an undermining of journalistic and editorial integrity:
Turnstall and Palmer (1991)
Govs are no longer interested in controlling activities of media owners as class interests of media owners and the political elite overlap
Regulatory Favours:
newspapers owned by a media conglomerate will directly support a government, neglect to criticise gov policy or withhold information from the general public in return for less/ abolishment of media regulation
E.g. Ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi owned 3 TV channels with an audience of 40% of the Italian population- he used these media outlets to help him win the 1994 election
Leveson Inquiry (2002)
Investigated
culture, practices and ethics of the press
: uncovered
many links between media owners and governments
, with the media often giving support to political parties in return for favourable policies.
Stated that politicians of all parties had developed
"too close a relationship with the press in a way which
has not been in the public interest".
Control of Media Content and Audiences
Marcuse- Frankfurt School
Media owners play a key role in helping to control the w/c through a
"bread and circuses" approach
. They deliberately make sure that the
media output is mainly entertainment-orientated so that people are kept happy and docile, unaware of their poverty and exploitation.
This
maintains the status quo
as it ensures that the proletariat do not revolt against the bourgeoisie
Ralph Miliband:
Mass media is "
the new opium of the people
"- it acts as a hallucinatory drug to keep the masses subsumed and prevent class consciousness.
Thus
media audiences are unthinking, passive and easily manipulated robots
who swallow every opinion and biased report in the media. They are
fed a dumbed-down media diet
of
undemanding, uncritical, trivial content
in order to sedate the population and
keep them unaware/ unfocused on serious issues
The media is a tool used by the dominant group (white, male, m/c) to
control the masses
and
convince them that widespread inequalities are inevitable in society
(legitimises inequality)
Media content is biased, one sided and often attacks, ridicules or ignores ideas from groups that could threaten or criticise the interests of the dominant class, maintaining the status quo
Control of Media Workforce
Evans
: media moguls such as Murdoch undermine editorial independence- they press editorial staff to adopt the same right-wing, Conservative views as themselves.
Control is not only imposed ideologically on the masses but also economically on the media's workforce (editors, managers, journalists) as they have little choice in their work and must produce what the bosses want to keep their jobs.
Evaluation
Independent bodies such as OFCOM regulate the media
As a result of the Leveson Inquiry, more regulation is being introduced:
a new self-regulation body independent of serving editors, government and business
a legal duty on the government to protect the freedom of the press
whistle-blowing hotline should be established for journalists who feel under pressure to do unethical things.
Feminists
: Instrumental Marxists are economic reductionists- focus only on social class, ignore media's relationship to patriarchy
Gramsci
: Instrumental Marxists over-simplify the process of false class consciousness- dual consciousness occurs instead where members "see through but go with"
Neophiliacs
: internet and citizen journalism has undermined the influence and control of media owners, giving more power to the masses
Social media has led to culture of holding those in power accountable- the elite are more subject to criticisms and challenging from the general public
Fails to see that journalists see themselves as the guardians of the public interest and dedicate their careers to exposing members of the establishment who abuse their powers