Media 10 Markers
Outline and explain two ways in which media owners might influence the content of the media
The ideology held by the news owners may directly affect the content of the news, as they often have political ties and an agenda of their own due to the power they have. For example, all of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers were pro-invasion for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Murdoch himself openly held this position and consorted with politicians who also did, showing clearly the power owners have over their content. This is supported by the Marxist instumentalist approach to ownership, which states that owners have direct control over the content, and media professionals have little choice in the matter as they are under the influence, or threat of expulsion, from owners. In this model, owners not only control content for political gain, but for monetary gain as well. The priorities of the owner are usually one of these two, and regardless of which the content of their media is changed to suit it.
However, this approach is criticised by the Uses and Gratifications theory (Katz and Lazarfeld). They argue that the media is used by the audience for their own gratification and pleasure, and so the media, and to a further extent the media owners, have to bend to the audience's whims to continue, and more importantly to them profit. So these theorists say that the owners, and the media in general, have little power over content, it's the audience who have the real power. In contrast, the neo-marxist cultural effects model says that the media control what the audiecnce want, and this is spread via journaliusts which are employed by owners, so they do have power, albeit less directly.
The ideology held by the news owners may directly affect the content of the news, as they often have political ties and an agenda of their own due to the power they have. For example, all of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers were pro-invasion for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Murdoch himself openly held this position and consorted with politicians who also did, showing clearly the power owners have over their content. This is supported by the Marxist instumentalist approach to ownership, which states that owners have direct control over the content, and media professionals have little choice in the matter as they are under the influence, or threat of expulsion, from owners. In this model, owners not only control content for political gain, but for monetary gain as well. The priorities of the owner are usually one of these two, and regardless of which the content of their media is changed to suit it.
However, this approach is criticised by the Uses and Gratifications theory (Katz and Lazarfeld). They argue that the media is used by the audience for their own gratification and pleasure, and so the media, and to a further extent the media owners, have to bend to the audience's whims to continue, and more importantly to them profit. So these theorists say that the owners, and the media in general, have little power over content, it's the audience who have the real power. In contrast, the neo-marxist cultural effects model says that the media control what the audiecnce want, and this is spread via journaliusts which are employed by owners, so they do have power, albeit less directly.
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