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F soc lecture week 9 the media and sociology theories
- 1. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society FOUNDATION SOCIAL SCIENCE LECTURE NINE-The Media and Sociological Theory
- 2. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society Contents 1.What do we mean by media? 2.How we use the media 3.Traditional Media Theories 4.Contemporary Media Theories 5. Media Ownership 6. Homework sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 2
- 3. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society Media in the Digital Age Sociological studies look at not only how you use the media but who is behind the websites you are using and whether they might distort the messages they send you. Let’s have a look at two examples: Advertising that looks like Editorial. Editorial that is actually propaganda sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 3
- 4. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Media Theories 4 Is the media important ? – our use of it shows it plays a big part in our lives but just how influential is it (does it make us think and do things differently). Media Theorists believe what we see; hear and read in the media has a huge influence but this effect (the theorists call it ‘Uses and Gratifications’ has yet to be proved conclusively (PLEASE BEAR THIS IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THE LEACTURE AND SEMINARS). Here are some of the roots of present day theories : Marxist Theories Conflict theorists or Marxist viewpoints look at media from two angles: 1.Influence of the media } both exercise power 2.ownership of the media } over people
- 5. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Influence : The ‘Guard-dog effect’ 5 Marxist Views Focus on ‘product’ rather than ‘process’ So they look at the ‘News Agenda’ ( why certain stories are more prominent or more dominant than others. American Noam Chomsky (1991) who is highly critical of the dominance of large corporations in American and global media : media ownership excludes voices that lack economic power : ie Rich people are only interested in rich people voices that survive are those least likely to criticize the prevailing distribution of wealth and power. Chomsky also says corporately owned media exaggerated people’s fears of global terrorism and prevented discussion of other issues that are more significant, such as corporations unaccountability or the lack of democracy. (We’ll talk more about these ‘Moral Panics’ in a moment). Chomsky sees the mass media are propaganda machines supporting the ruling groups in society.
- 6. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society Is Chomsky right? • Yes Here’s an example from Fox News in the US • No If it were wholly true how would people like Murdock; Berlusconi and Black ever get found out? sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 6
- 7. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Can the Media theorists be right ? 7 According to the Frankfurt School (and later the Glasgow Media Group) the Culture industry is used to produce appropriate values among the people: Eg: language of bias : Terrorists v freedom fighters Culture standarised and dominated by the desire for profit just like other industries Eg: mass reproduction devalues Art What are the theorists’ missing ? People can and do think for themselves – they can resist media propaganda Alternate media sources offer different messages There is a media theory that recognises these missing elements…….
- 8. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Pluralism Society is made up of many interacting but competing sections. Sections have more or less equal access to resources and influence Are monitored by a benevolent and neutral state operating in the public’s best interest According to pluralists the media reflect the views of society. So if there’s diversity within society, there should be diversity in the media content. They refute the ‘effects’ theories of Marxist academics and Frankfurt School. The media are so busy reflecting society that they are unlikely to have much ‘effect’ in changing society. 8
- 9. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Pluralism 9 Pluralists say the media has limited influence on people’s views because mass communication acts in unpredictable ways. 1.Personal, political, practical or technological factors shape our exposure to particular messages 2.Medium has an important impact on the effect of the message. 3.Content and form, presentation and language all impact on effectiveness of the message. 4.Existing beliefs and attitudes of the audience may modify or completely distort the meaning of a message 5.Messages can be moderated by opinion-makers within communities There is always someone with alternate views – critics of pluralism argue: This ‘pro-media approach lacks objectivity . The media would say that wouldn’t they!) Point to a ‘shared’ culture between politicians and journalists – they need each other!
- 10. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Contemporary Theories: Symbolic Interactionism Interactionism argues that panics serve to scapegoat social groups, including youth cultures and ethnic minorities, taking attention away from structural problems such as unemployment and economic recession. For instance in the UK there is considerable debate in the media and from politicians about the impact of immigrants on British societies. •Unemployment and lower incomes •Increase in crime and poverty These claims attributed to immigration with little to no discussion of the impact political and financial decisions have on these social issues. 10
- 11. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Moral Panics One of the most influential interactionist approaches to media is moral panic theory – Stuart Hall and Chas Critcher - former Sheffield Hallam Academic http://www.penelopeironstone.com/Critcher.pdf •It all started with Stan Cohen (1972) studying how clashes between Mods and Rockers were reported in the media- Cohen said it was an ‘over-reaction’ about youth and drugs 11
- 12. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society Moral Panics brought up to date • In the last UK elections a big challenge to the traditional parties was UKIP – it is a single issue party focussed on taking the UK out of the EU • - one of its main reasons for doing this is to reduce the number of migrants coming to the UK (notice the language: ‘migrant’ and ‘immigrant’ have negative connotations , a more positive phrase would be ‘expat’ • Interestingly Brits who work abroad are called ‘expats’ but people from other countries working in the UK are called ‘migrants’ • If the Moral panics theory was correct all media would be engaged in exaggerated claims highlighting problems and refuting other (more rational) outlooks but it’s not the case………….. sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 12 Media debunking moral panics on both sides of the Atlantic
- 13. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - SocietyEffective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society 1964 Hypodermic Needle Effect Audiences ‘drugged’ by media 1990 Gratification Model different audiences use media differently for their own gratification Thompson says audiences debate about what they’ve seen in the media. 2000 Interpretive Model Audience shapes Media through their engagement Baudrillard says Media does not just ‘represent’ the world to us it defines it. Audience and Media Representation sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 13
- 14. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - SocietyEffective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Media Ownership 14 Marxist concerns also focus on the increasing concentration of ownership of different media within large multinational corporations.
- 15. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - SocietyEffective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 15 The global media market is dominated by a group of about 20 MNC’s whose role in the production, distribution and marketing of news and entertainment is felt in almost every country in the world.
- 16. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - SocietyEffective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college Media Ownership 16 Four major trends in media ownership can be identified over the last decade: 1.Concentration of ownership/ monopolization 2.Reducing Competition - buying out of smaller businesses by larger media corporations. Marxist perspective this growth in the power of capitalism. 3.Multi- Media Integration – allows a media giant to market the same products across different media greater control 4.Globalization – westernisation of the media and potential destruction of the local culture ‘media imperialism’.
- 17. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - SocietyEffective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society New Media is hailed as offering new Global freedoms but is this true? Government Control/Censorship Search engines dominated by big business-reducing competition and increasing monopolisation Narrowing of the News Agenda – people fed only what they are interested in (the opposite of the Interpretive Model : the media shaping audience engagement).This self affirming engagement might harden attitudes and perspectives. Is your Media Use controlled? sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 17
- 18. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - SocietyEffective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 18
- 19. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - SocietyEffective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-college The Rise and Rise of Digital Music 19
- 20. Effective from September 2015 | F_Soc USIC Sociology week 9 - Society Homework • Review lecture notes and write down questions for seminar one. • Seminar 1 : Media Usage and Media theories • Seminar 2 : Media Ownership and the Digital Revolution sheffield.ac.uk/international-college 20
Hinweis der Redaktion
- What is news? News can be newly received factual information regarding recent event(s) occurring in the world. News is usually broadcast or published through media technology (e.g. TV, internet, and radio) and/or print. Conflict theories or Marxist viewpoints look at media from two angles: the political economy approach which concentrates on the ownership and control of media forms, and the ‘culture industry’ approach of the Frankfurt School of critical theory. One of the best known media magnates is Australian born Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Sky Digital, Fox Broadcasting Company and other media organisations.
- In a mass society, the leisure industry was used to induce appropriate values among the public: leisure was no longer a break from work, but a preparation for it. Conflict theories remain popular in media studies however they do have their critics. Critics of conflict theories claim that their views have a tendency to assume that people are unable to resist media propaganda and are easy prey to it. Additionally Marxist views underestimate the state’s regulation of the media and media ownership.
- Pluralists argue that the media have a limited influence on people’s views because mass communication can be affected in unpredictable ways, specifically in five ways. Variable exposure to media messages. For instance personal, political, practical or technological factors can shape the nature and extent of an individual’s or group’s exposure to any particular message. For instance a person who tends to favour conservative political views will most likely watch news channels with a conservative focus or read news print with a conservative perspective. The type of medium used to convey the message has an important impact on the power of the message. For instance showing TV footage or images of starving children may have more of an effect on the viewer than reading a report about the same event. The nature of the content, and the form, presentation and language of the message may have a consequence to its effect. For instance the reporting of police over-use of force towards blacks in America. The amount of coverage and reporting that has taken place on this topic has prompted changes in police training and legal proceedings against many of the officers accused of these acts. Beliefs and attitudes among members of the audience can modify or completely distort the meaning of a given message. For instance the reporting of police over-use of force will be perceived by those in support of blacks as the victimization of minority citizens. However an individual that holds racist views might interpret the reporting as highlighting how blacks are most likely to commit violent crimes and this is why police are resorting to excessive force when dealing with these ethnic groups. Leaders and opinion-makers within communities can mediate messages received from the mass media. For instance students will tend to vote for the candidate on X-factor that their friends are going to vote for and maybe not necessarily the person they like.
- This view argues that panics serve to scapegoat social groups, including youth cultures and ethnic minorities, taking attention away from structural problems such as unemployment and economic recession.
- Interactionist media studies are not as common as conflict theories though with the increase in media types they have become more popular in recent years. One of the most influential interactionist approaches to media is moral panic theory in criminology. A study conducted by Criminologist Stan Cohen (1972) who studied the clashes between the Mods (show pic) and Rockers (show pic) in the UK demonstrated how media’s exaggerated and sensationalized representation of incidents and people can contribute to creating moral panics and fuelling social fears.
- For many a key problem with the media is the increasing concentration of ownership of different types of media within large corporations that have come to be known as ‘super companies’. The internet is one of the main contributors to the transformation of media into an international outlet of communication. Although the media have always had international dimensions – such as the gathering of news stories and the distribution of films overseas – until the 1970s most media companies operated within specific domestic markets in accordance with regulations from national governments. In addition there was a clear distinction between the media sectors – for the most part cinema, print media, radio and television all operated independently of each other. In other words owners of news print media did not also own a television network.
- Four major trends in media ownership can be identified over the last decades: Concentration of ownership or monopolization – Refers to the global media market was dominated by a group of about 20 multinational corporations (MNC) [Insert Growth – Refers to the merging or buying out of smaller businesses by larger media corporations, hence reducing competition. From a Marxist perspective this growth in the power of capitalism is both predictable and alarming. Why do you think that is?