In short, Jurgan Habermas argued that the media should work for the public’s interest, to inform them with correct information (especially info to do with  the government, authority and control), and not purely in a commercial interest. He believes that in order to have democracy the public must be informed, aware and debate on issues.  He also thinks that the mass media and globalization has reduced the effectiveness of the public sphere – that there are fewer voices discussing the news (concentration of ownership)

“The media ceased to be an agency of empowerment and rationality, and became a further means by which the public was sidelined” – James curran; media and democracy revisited 

‘The private political opinions of the individual become the public opinion of the people as a whole’ – brian mcnair

‘Supplying not only information but also opinion, comment, and criticism’ – brian mcnair  

The public wants a free market when it comes to news, however laws have to be put in place to prevent them from lying and saying really offensive things. But if the government put too many laws in place then the news becomes controlled by the state 

Agenda setting is a theory which states the ‘ability to influence the importance placed on the topics of public agenda’. it creates public awareness and concern of major issues published by the media. Different media companies will frame the stories in particular ways to attempt to influence viewers, one of the main ideas in this theory is that media does not reflect reality, it filters and shapes it. For example the sun, a right wing newspaper, article on brexit showed it in a positive light whereas the mirror, a left wing newspaper, showed brexit in a more negative light. Another main idea of this theory is that the media concentrates on a few issues/subjects that lead the public to view the selected issues as more important than other issues. As media is biased, they may partake in ‘myth making’ to try and persuade the public what that specific media organisation wants others to believe 

The propaganda model is a model by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman in the political economy that explains how populations are manipulated and how consent for economic, social and political policies is manufactured. The model states that there are five factors which aid the media in doing this, these include: Structures of ownership, The role of advertising, Links with ‘The Establishment’, Diversionary tactics – ‘flack’ and Uniting against a ‘common enemy’. 

• Structures of ownership – includes who owns which companies, eg 71% of UK newspapers are owned by 4 companies 
• The role of advertising – selected advertisements shaped specifically to  individuals to persuade them  
• Links with ‘The Establishment’ 
• Diversionary tactics – ‘flack’
• Uniting against a ‘common enemy’ – by finding a common enemy between the media and the consumer, they can bond over something possibly leading to the consumer believing more of what the media is say

Noam Chomsky is a linguist and liberal political activist. In the documentary ‘Manufacturing consent’ he presents his thoughts on how the mass media works against democracy’s best interests. The corporations and investors controlling the outlets where most people get their news, he argues, selectively choose what to cover for reasons having to do with personal agendas and retaining power, rather than what’s best for readers and viewers.

Technology and newspapers

live – new stories and articles are posted regularly that people can see as they’re posted

stream – there is links to videos and music that you can stream onto your device

endless – the website is constantly being updated, there is no set finish to the digital magazine

the difference between old and new media

The relationship between businesses and individuals is now mostly through digital networks. A digital networked society is changing how individuals live, work, travel and socialise – therefore benefit them, however it is likely to benefit big organisations more. The data of an average American is worth between $0.20 and $0.40. Organisations can sell this data to generate more money for the business, Facebook for example has around 190 million users in the U.S., so it is estimated that Facebook can make between $38 million and $76 million from selling its users data. The loop theory can be applied to the digital network; people now pick up their phones without even thinking about it, therefore if you open a site eg facebook, they will be able to know what times you’re on your phone and where you are etc. After a while, these organisations will be able to record and then predicted an individuals behaviour.

What is the network effect? (theodore vail)

The network effect is a case of an increased number of people participating in something which leads to an increased value. Vail said  “each little system would have been independent and self-contained without benefit to any other.” A telephone without a connection at the other end, Vail explained, “is one of the most useless things in the world. Its value depends on the connection with the other telephone — and increases with the number of connections.” 

What is the feedback loop theory? (norbert wiener)

The theory that our brains get used to doing something and it becomes second nature to do it. Eg walking – you don’t have to constantly think about the next step.

What is the dunbar number? (robin dunbar)

Dunbar’s number is a suggested cognitive limit to the number of people that one can maintain stable social relationships with (relationships where an individual knows who each person is and how each person relates to every other person)

Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian philosopher who proposed the theory called ‘the medium is the message’. The theory states that a medium itself, not the content it carries, should be the focus of study. He believes that the characteristics of the medium the message is passed through affects society, not the message itself. He used the phrase “We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us” to easily explain his theory.