David Hesmondhalgh critically analyse the relationship between media work and the media industry. In his seminal book, The Culture Industries (Sage, 2019) he suggested that:

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

Often, this ‘myth-like’ narrative young people aspire to is unachievable. They are seduced easily into wanting to work within creative industries and fail to see the counter side, the reality, to what is on the surface.

“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) 

The creative industry is stereotypically presented as a ‘utopian’ career choice in which, workers have fun at all times whereas it is risky and involves many aspects such as business and money as well. Success in creative industries is largely based off of contacts, connections and luck rather than pure talent and effort.

David Hesmondhalgh says; “All business is risky, but the cultural industries constitute a particularly risky business”

The media and creative industry is based off of audience preference, taste, and how audiences will react to productions. For example, if a production gets a unexpected, negative reaction, money is lost without being made back and jobs are lost, making it a risky venture. Artists and producers take a risk when creating a product as they don’t have any idea how it will be received by the consumers.

“Media buisnesses are reliant upon changing audience consumption patterns”

As audience taste changes, it has a knock on effect to the productions being made.

Risk is minimized by many different things:

• ‘Fan culture’, if productions develop a strong, reliable and loyal fan base, producers can almost rely on a positive reaction from these consumers towards future productions.
• Marketing and advertising, the use of advertisement allows creative/ media products to gain the attention of their target audience
• Trying not to create a ‘monopoly’, often, large, worldwide companies such as ‘Disney’ and ‘Apple’ leave one aspect of production, distribution or consumption to a third party company in order to create a legal monopoly.
• Repetition; Producers stick to their strengths and create similar products time and time again to create a loyal fan base so that they don’t have to continue finding new target audience.

The Media and creative industries are categorized into sub sectors;

• Production = Artists, designers, actors etc who create the product.

• Distribution = Marketers, publicists, advertisers etc who promote the product to the audience.

• Consumption = Workers who allow the product to be brought to the audience and consumers who consume the products.