Media industries

  • Media concentration– Concentration of media ownership is a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media.
  • Conglomerates– A conglomerate is a multi-industry company
  • Globalization– the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide.
  • Vertical Integration– it is when a media Company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution.
  • Horizontal Integration– it is when a media Company’s Ownership of several businesses of the same value.
  • Gatekeepers-they are people or policies that act as a go-between, controlling access from one point to another. They may refuse, control or delay access to services.
  • Regulation– it  is the act of controlling, or a law, rule or order
  • Deregulation– it is the removal of regulations or restrictions, especially in a particular industry
  • Free market– it is an economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses
  • Monopolies & Mergers– A market structure characterized by a single seller, selling a unique product in the market. In a monopoly market, the seller faces no competition, as he is the sole seller of goods with no close substitute

Media Regulation

The principal targets of media regulation are the press, radio and television, but may also include film, recorded music, cable, satellite, storage and distribution technology (discs, tapes etc.), the internet, mobile phones etc.

Link to Texts– Murdoch told publishers what to publish in the newspapers about political views and what he believed. But not what the publishers thought. He controlled what was in the newspapers and he published things that would benefit him.

Link to Theory- It links with the hegemonic theory, which is where an elite like the government controls the mass media and that the media promotes a certain dominant ideology. It shows an influence of powerful and global dominance.

Link to Social/ Historical events- It links to the new labour election party in 1997. The publishers are influenced by the government of what to say and influence the public on who to vote for and who to support.

There is a balance between business and the government. When a business looses control or goes too far the government takes over this is the same for the government.

media institutions

  • Media concentration / Conglomerates / Globalisation (in terms of media ownership)

Concentration of media ownership is a process whereby progressively fewer individuals or organizations control increasing shares of the mass media.

A media conglomerate is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet.

the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.

  • Vertical Integration & Horizontal Integration

Vertical – the combination in one firm of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate firms.

Horizontal – Horizontal integration is the process of a company increasing production of goods or services at the same part of the supply chain. A company may do this via internal expansion, acquisition or merger. The process can lead to monopoly if a company captures the vast majority of the market for that product or service.

  • Gatekeepers

an attendant employed to control what comes in and out of the company, selective choices.

  • Regulation / Deregulation

a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority

the removal of regulations or restrictions, especially in a particular industry

  • Free market vs Monopolies & Mergers

  • Neo-liberalism and the Alt-Right

  • Surveillance / Privacy / Security / GDPR

David Hesmondhalgh (cultural industries)

Two of Hesmondhalgh’s key ideas are:

  • the idea that the largest companies or conglomerates now operate across a number of different cultural industries
  • the idea that the radical potential of the internet has been contained to some extent by its partial incorporation into a large, profit-orientated set of cultural industries.

Hesmondhalgh argues that major cultural organisations create products for different industries in order to maximise chances of commercial success. In relation to online products, he argues that major IT companies now compete with the more traditional media conglomerates within the cultural sector: ‘Microsoft, Google, Apple and Amazon are now as significant as News Corporation, Time Warner and Sony for understanding cultural production and consumption.’

Rupert Murdoch

Murdoch’s holding company, News Corp, owns The New York Post, The Times of London, and The Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Company, among many other assets. Murdoch, now 88 years old, currently spends his days at the helm of another News Corp property, Fox News.

Media industry

  • Media concentration / Conglomerates – one company owns multiple businesses and companies within the media industry
  • Globalisation – a business operates globally, offering it’s services (in this case films/tv, satisfying the need for gratification), cross culture of media
  • Vertical Integration – taking ownership of more businesses within the same area eg news stations, however not becoming a monopoly and owning ALL of them
  • Horizontal Integration – taking ownership of businesses in different areas of the media, eg a film company taking over a magazine company
  • Gatekeepers – someone with authority who let certain people in and out
  • Regulation / Deregulation – putting laws in place to regulate and control businesses telling them what they can and can’t do / reducing rules set in place to help businesses.
  • Free market – any business can get what they want, no one has a dominant position in the market meaning everyone has a fair chance of being successful and making good profits, lots of competition
  • Monopolies – one company owns all the businesses in an industry which gives them a dominant position in the market as it can be abused and put smaller businesses out of business, not enough competition
  • Mergers – 2 or more businesses merge together to become one big company
  • Neo-liberalism and the Alt-Right
  • Surveillance / Privacy / Security / GDPR – Media companies have their own right to a product they produced or distributed, so need to be protected to stop pirating and people ‘stealing’ the product and making a profit out of it (copyright)

Media regulation

  • control over monopolies and mergers (big conglomerate abuse power) (Murdoch denied SkyB) owns 39%, can overthrow government if own too much
  • Ofcom regulator of competition
  • Murdoch regulate his empire – telling newspaper editors what to write even if they don’t agree with it, (tony blair)
  • Media influences audiences of who to vote for
  • Murdoch is a foreigner to the UK
  • Gramsci hegemony – dominance, balance between government and businesses, government control media to change dominant ideology of the public
  • Jaques Lacan – see themselves in the media so they can relate to it, give the people what they want and what they don’t know they want
  • Gatekeepers control who comes in and out of businesses
  • Chomsky – manufacturing consent major media conglomerates control the mass media, spreading ideas and changing people’s views without them knowing influencing their decisions, control what the public thinks

Media Industry Analysis:

Key words:

  • Media concentration / Conglomerates / Globalisation (in terms of media ownership)

A company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media including television, radio and publishing.

  • Vertical Integration & Horizontal Integration

A strategy whereby a company owns or controls its suppliers, distributors or retail locations to control its value or supply chain.

  • Gatekeepers
  • Regulation / Deregulation
  • Free market vs Monopolies & Mergers
  • Neo-liberalism and the Alt-Right
  • Surveillance / Privacy / Security / GDPR

INSTITUTION definitions-key words

  • Media concentration / Conglomerates / Globalisation (in terms of media ownership)

A media conglomerate, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet

  • Vertical Integration & Horizontal Integration

Horizontal integration is when a business grows by acquiring a similar company in their industry at the same point of the supply chain. Vertical integration is when a business expands by acquiring another company that operates before or after them in the supply chain.

  • Gatekeepers

Gatekeeping is a process by which information is filtered to the public by the media. … This news perspective and its complex criteria are used by editors, news directors, and other personnel who select a limited number of news stories for presentation to the public. someone who allows information that they deem fit so someone with a lot of power.

  • Regulation / Deregulation

a process in which a government removes controls and rules about how newspapers, television channels, etc. are owned and controlled: Critics of media deregulation say it can give too much power to individuals who own many forms of mass media.

  • Free market vs Monopolies & Mergers

The free market is an economic system based on supply and demand with little or no government control. Cross ownership: ownership of different kinds of media (TV, newspapers, magazines, etc.) by the same group. Monopoly “in cross”: reproduction into local level, of the particularities of cross ownership.A media merger is defined in the Act as: • a merger or acquisition in which 2 or. more of the undertakings involved. carry on a media business in the. State; or.

  • Neo-liberalism and the Alt-Right

  • Surveillance / Privacy / Security / GDPR

David Hesmondhalgh is among a range of academics who critically analyse the relationship between media work and the media industry. In his seminal book, The Culture Industries (Sage, 2019) he suggest that:

the distinctive organisational form of the cultural industries has considerable implications for the conditions under which symbolic creativity is carried out’ 

The Culture Industries (Sage, 2019, p.99)

Put another way, in an article he wrote with Banks (Banks, M., & Hesmondhalgh, D. (2009). Looking for work in creative industries policy. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 415-430.) 

there must be serious concerns about the extent to which this business-driven, economic agenda is compatible with the quality of working life and of human well-being in the creative industries.

Looking for work in creative industries policy. International Journal of Cultural Policy p.428

A critical reflection that highlights the ‘myth-making’ process surrounding the potential digital future for young creatives, setting up a counter-weight against the desire of so many young people who are perhaps too easily seduced to pursue a career in the creative industries. Where the promise of wealth and fame and the celebration of a range of unlikely popular heroes including various dot.com millionaires, Young British Artists, celebrity chefs, pop stars, media entrepreneurs and the like, have according to Banks and Hesmondhalgh (2009), encouraged nascent creatives to imagine themselves as the ‘star’ at the centre of their own unfolding occupational drama. Put precisely,

As can be deduced, this approach looks to spotlight a prevailing assumption around cultural production as one that is ‘innately talent-driven and meritocratic – that anyone can make it’ (ibid). 

Although, as Angela McRobbie (2002) (2016 ) and others, (Communian, Faggian, & Jewell, 2011); (O’Brien, Laurison, Miles, & Friedman, 2016); (Hesmondhalgh, 2019) have argued, the study of creative work should include a wider set of questions including the way in which aspirations to and expectations of autonomy could lead to disappointment and disillusion.

As Banks and Hesmondhalgh argue, 

in its utopian presentation, creative work is now imagined only as a self-actualising pleasure, rather than a potentially arduous or problematic obligation undertaken through material necessity (2009, p. 417) 

As Hesmondhalgh (2019) notes, one feature of cultural work in the complex professional era is that many more peole seem to have wnated to work professionally in the cultural industries than have succeeded in do so. Few people make it, and surprisingly little attention has been paid in research to how people do so, and what stops others from getting on.’ (p.99)

In my own research, I looked at theories of the self and identity in relation to aspirational ambitions and the realities of the creative economy which can often be found to out of kilter.

Murdoch media empire

Stop the Cap! » Rupert Murdoch Wants Time Warner (Entertainment), But TW is  Playing Hard to Get… for Now


Five reasons why the Murdochs are selling Fox to Disney - BBC News

insitutions and representation

Media concentration

Concentration in the mass media industry is a pattern of ownership where fewer and fewer people own more and more of the assets of that industry.  

Conglomerates

Media conglomerate describes companies that own large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio, publishing, movies, and the Internet.

Globalisation

media globalization is the worldwide integration of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas, while technological globalization refers to the cross-cultural development and exchange of technology.

Vertical Integration

 Vertical integration is a strategy whereby a company owns or controls its suppliers, distributors or retail locations to control its value or supply chain. Vertical integration benefits companies by allowing them to control process, reduce costs and improve efficiencies.

Horizontal Integration –

Horizontal integration is the process of a company increasing production of goods or services at the same part of the supply chain. A company may do this via internal expansion, acquisition or merger. The process can lead to monopoly if a company captures the vast majority of the market for that product or service.

Gatekeepers- 

Gatekeeping occurs at all levels of the media structure—from a reporter deciding which sources are chosen to include in a story to editors deciding which stories are printed or covered and includes media outlet owners and even advertisers. – Somebody who exerts power. 

Regulation / Deregulation-

 Deregulation is when the government reduces or eliminates restrictions on industries, often with the goal of making it easier to do business. It removes a regulation that interferes with firms’ ability to compete, especially overseas. By banks etc prevents monopolies. – it is hard to regulate new media companies such a google and amazon. 

Free market vs Monopolies & Mergers- 

free market is one where voluntary exchange and the laws of supply and demand provide the sole basis for the economic system, without government intervention. A key feature of free markets is the absence of coerced (forced) transactions or conditions on transactions. Monopolies-owing everything. 

Neo-liberalism and the Alt-Right – 

Neoliberalism is antithetical to the protection of group – rather than individual – interests, for example, that might be achieved through lobbying of groups, or state interventions that protect national interests via tariffs or subsidies. Neoliberalism has moved away from a centrally governed economy. ideological grouping associated with extreme conservative or reactionary viewpoints, characterized by a rejection of mainstream politics and by the use of online media to disseminate deliberately controversial content.

Surveillance / Privacy / Security / GDPR- 

lose observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal.

David Hesmondhalgh 

David Hesmondhalgh is among a range of academics who critically analyse the relationship between media work and the media industry. In his seminal book, The Culture Industries (Sage, 2019) he suggest that:

the distinctive organisational form of the cultural industries has considerable implications for the conditions under which symbolic creativity is carried out

A critical reflection that highlights the ‘myth making’ process surrounding the potential digital future for young creatives, setting up a counter-weight against the desire of so many young people who are perhaps too easily seduced to pursue a career in the creative industries- compliance.

Looking for work in creative industries policy. International Journal of Cultural Policy p.428

An its utopian presentation, creative work is now imagined only as a self-actualising pleasure, rather than a potentially arduous or problematic obligation undertaken through material necessity (2009, p. 417) 

Hesmondhalgh’s theory: This suggests that cultural industry companies. Minimise risk + Maximise Audiences = Maximise Profit.

Rupert Murdoch- Media empire

Murdoch’s media empire includes Fox News, Fox Sports, the Fox Network, The Wall Street Journal, and HarperCollins. In March 2019, Murdoch sold the majority of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets to the Walt Disney Company for $71.3 billion. Founded: Sky News, BSkyB, News Corp, Fox News

Would Rupert Murdoch break up his empire? - BBC News

noam Chomsky

  • press freedom
  • manufactoring consent- media acts as a check on political power, informs the public and manufacture our consent.
  • media and politics are intertwined
  • media stages democracy
  • 5 filters:
  • ownership – for profit part of larger conglomerates , out for profit media journalism accuracy takes second place.
  • advertisers close the gap, to create good publicity for what they support- advertisers pay for audiences.
  • when the story is unconfident to the media- it is diverted.
  • we think we are free however, we are being controlled and we don’t see society how it really is and are manipulated by what is told to them in the media.

Media working practices

Rupert Murdoch is so succesful that his decision to support labour, impacted the new labour party election in 1997. Becuase of his ownership of The sun, the times and news of the world. These newspapers promoted the labour goverment and leader Tony Blair. The police accepted briebs from Murdochs company to gain data from them, however nothing was ever done about it. This is an example of Murdoch’s power and the influence his media companies can have on society. 

hesmondhalgh’s theory talks about theories of the self and identity in relation to aspirational ambitions and the realities of the creative economy. He critically analyses the relationship between media work and the media industry. How it is romanticised vs the reality of the industry. academics

CURRAN AND SEATON

  • Liberal theory is the freedom to to publish in the free market
  • “ensure that the press reflects a wide range of options and interests in society.”- (The liberal theory of press freedom)
  • “the press is the peoples watchdog, scrutinising the actions of the government and holding the countries rulers to account.” – the press is the way of providing information to the public about what is happening in the world which gives flack to the government. – curran
  • the advances of technology means that nearly anyone is free to publish whatever they like for a smaller amount of money.
  • In the 80’s new technologies came out and therefore should have increased the number of newspapers being produced however it didn’t, there are still the same amount of papers. This proves his theory that there is not enough diversification in the press. This can effect the American election as it may impact who people vote for. The press can do this by showing a candidate in a certain light. 
  • The free market, it is also argued to makes the press a representative institution. 
  • the market of press is independent because it owes allegiance only to the public
  • the press complains commission (PCC) was established in 1991
  • British broadcasting was started as a public service, and this proved as creative commercially as it was innovative culturally

Institutional Analysis/ David Hesmondhalgh

  • Media concentration / Conglomerates – A large bussiness or company, a combination of multiple bussiness entitles operating in entirely different industries under one main group/ bussiness.
  • Globalisation (in terms of media ownership) – Media globalisation is the combination of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas.
  • Vertical Integration – A larger company/ conglomerate that aquires a smaller company in the same industry.
  • Horizontal Integration – The aquisition of a bussiness/ company which is operating at the same level of value as the bussiness/ company/ chain in a similar or different industry.
  • Gatekeepers – Gatekeeping is the process through which information is filtered for spreading, whether for publication, broadcasting, the internet or some other mode of communication. Somone who holds power and can control the flow of information.
  • Regulation – Regulation is an abstract concept of management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. Regulation of monopolies throught police or government. It is hard to regulate new media companies – Google, Facebook and Amazon.
  • Deregulation – The removal or limit in government power over a particular industry, usually to create more competition within the industry.
  • Free market – A free market economy is a type of economy that promotes the production and sale of goods and services, with little to no control or involvement from any central government agency. A free market economy is opposite to how a command economy works, where the central government gets to keep the profits.
  • Monopolies & Mergers – ownership of different kinds of media (TV, newspapers, magazines, etc.) by the same group.  Media mergers are a result of one media related company buying another company for control of their resources, successful media companies usually buy out other companies to reach a larger viewing audience in order to increase views and profit. Those in power of monopolies can gatekeep information/ data/ the product they own.
  • Neo-liberalism – Reducing state influence in the economy, especially through privatization and austerity.
  • Surveillance/ Privacy/ Security – Monitering/ Protection over data
  • GDPR – The General Data Protection Regulation is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area. 

David Hesmondhalgh – The Cultural Industries

Work conditions in the media Industry.

‘There must be serious concerns about the extent to which this business-driven, economic agenda is compatible with the quality of working life and of human well-being in the creative industries.

His interests include the cultural and creative industries, cultural policy, the politics of musical experience, and how ‘cultural platforms’ are transforming media. His books include The Cultural Industries, first published in 2002

  • Hesmondhalgh, D. (2017) ‘The media’s failure to represent the working class: explanations from media production and beyond’, in June Deery and Andrea Press (eds.), The Media and Class (New York: Routledge), pp. 21-37.
  • Hesmondhalgh, D. (2016) ‘Exploitation and media labor’, in Richard Maxwell (ed), The Routledge Companion to Labor and Media, New York and Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 30-39.
  • Hesmondhalgh, D. (2006) ‘Inside media organizations: production, autonomy and power’, in Hesmondhalgh, D. (ed.) (2006) Media Production, Maidenhead and Milton Keynes: The Open University Press/The Open University, pp. 49-90.

His suggests that cultural industry companies use =

Minimise risk + Maximise Audiences = Maximise Profit.

Hesmondhalgh has explored whether the cultural industries truly reflect the diversity of people and society.
Hesmondhalgh references Mosco (1996): “There is a difference between multiplicity – a large number of voices – and diversity – whether or not these voices are actually offering different things from each other.”

Cultural Industries = Film, television, radio, music, books and press. combine the creation, production, and distribution of goods and services that are cultural in nature

The Cultural Industries is an analysis of changes and continuities in television, film, music, publishing and other industries since the 1980s, and of the rise of new media and cultural industries during that time.

Rupert Murdoch – Media Empire –

Murdoch’s media empire includes Fox News, Fox Sports, the Fox Network, The Wall Street Journal, and HarperCollins. In March 2019, Murdoch sold the majority of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets to the Walt Disney Company for $71.3 billion. (Almost a monopoly over the conservative news industry in America)

Media and Society –

Media Ownership and structure

  • A large bussiness or company, a combination of multiple bussiness entitles operating in entirely different industries under one main group/ bussiness.
  • ISA – Althuser
  • Murdochs large influence over politicaians allowed him to create a monopoly over tabloids and news BskyB, in a way this could be linked to manufacturing consent as under Thatcher monopolies were illegal, however, due to Murdoch and how his support would benefit her she allowed him to control a lot of the print media in Britain.
  • Horizontal Integration – Murdoch purchasing his sons rapping organisation.
  • Globalisation (in terms of media ownership) – Media globalisation is the combination of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas.
  • Vertical Integration – A larger company/ conglomerate that aquires a smaller company in the same industry.
  • Horizontal Integration – The aquisition of a bussiness/ company which is operating at the same level of value as the bussiness/ company/ chain in a similar or different industry.
  • Media Regulation – Murdoch was only allowed to own 39% of Sky, though he had 100% control over print media such as the Sun. The priminister could be seen as a gatekeeper as they control what is allowed and what isnt such as Thatcher allowing Murdoch to have a monopoly, she regulated that decision.
  • Media Power and Control – Chomskys 5 filters, larger companies with more power can restrict smaller companies – Flack – manufacturing consent. such as in Bombshell where Fox News International, was able to control its smaller subsidaries.
  • 1 – Ownership – Profit- Critical Journalism – Serves the Conglomerate – Megan Kelly interview with trump Bombshell
  • 2 – Advertisement – Pay for audiences, media outlets ‘sell’ audiences to advertisers, without viewers there would be no profit
  • Flack – when a story is inconvenient for the organisation, when Megan opposed Trump and Roger she was immediately rejected
  • Media Powers and Control – Murdoch forced Tony B to leave EU show the power he had over politicians and ultimately the country
  • Media working practices – had a big influence on new labour party (1997), his newspapers promoted Tony B, the fact that Murdochs organisation used bribes o get information out of the police yet they weren’t prosecuted.

Is Murdoch dead yet?

Is Rupert Murdoch Dead? Sadly, no. As of 09/04/2020 he is very much alive.

INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

 Althusser’s notion of ISA’s (Ideological State Apparatus)

5 Filters that help to Manufacture Consent

  • Media concentration / Conglomerates / Globalisation (in terms of media ownership) – or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies 
  • Vertical Integration : is when a business expands by acquiring another company that operates before or after them in the supply chain.
  • Horizontal Integration: is when a business grows by acquiring a similar company in their industry at the same point of the supply chain.
  • Gatekeepers: someone who is exerting power
  • Regulation / Deregulation
  • Free market vs Monopolies & Mergers: a monopoly refers to when a company and its product offering dominate a sector of indusrty, get it from bank and government
  • Neo-liberalism and the Alt-Right:
  • Surveillance / Privacy / Security / GDPR

David Hesmondhalgh

  • British sociologist.
  • His research focusses on the media and cultural industries, critical approaches to media in the digital age, and the sociology of music.
  • The distinctive organisational form of the cultural industries has considerable implications for the conditions under which symbolic creativity is carried out’

rupert murdoch

Murdoch’s media empire includes Fox News, Fox Sports, the Fox Network, The Wall Street Journal, and HarperCollins. In March 2019, Murdoch sold the majority of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets to the Walt Disney Company for $71.3 billion.

rupert murdoch

Murdoch’s media empire includes Fox News, Fox Sports, the Fox Network, The Wall Street Journal, and HarperCollins. In March 2019, Murdoch sold the majority of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets to the Walt Disney Company for $71.3 billion.

BJ's nocabbages: Rupert Murdoch's Global Media Empire