David Hesmondalgh wrote a book called “The culture industries”

His work is about tracing the relationship between media work, workers, and the industry.

“VH:[00:17:10] I think a lot sadly does come down to luck and who you know. “

“MM: [00:34:02] So how do you see that? Looking back do you think that was, do you think basically you were lucky? The right person, in the right place, at the right time?

JL: [00:34:12] Yeah.  “

Many younger people believe that the creative industry is a lot different to how it really is

“LH [00:20:14] the minute that I went in I realized not everybody who works in creativity is a fun person. There are a lot more boring than you’d expect them to be. They’re not as fun.“

They are drawn to the ideas of fame and wealth and that it will be easy and fun, putting them in a vulnerable position when they realise that this is not the case and the industry requires you to get very lucky

David Hesmondhalgh says that media is a risky business

The 3 main sections of the culture industry

PRODUCTION : This involves the production of the media such as the movie director or the song writer.

DISTRIBUTION : This includes companies or people who promote and advertise the product.

CONSUMPTION : This includes the shareholders, people or businesses that are involved with the product through the distribution. This includes workers such as cinema ticket people or the listeners of the music.

Strategies that minimise this risk mentioned by David: Concept 1: maximising profits and minimising risks

• Horizontal integration: This acquires the media companies involved to minimise risk by achieving scale based cost savings whilst also trying and allowing the product to maximise profits by positioning brands to not compete against each other
• Vertical integration: This acquires production, distribution and marketing specialist subsidiaries, media can control all aspects of their supply chain
• When considering horizontal integration, this idea is that there is one large business that integrates it’s business by focusing on one section of the film industry and the culture industry. Such as a business based around production, the main business is called the parent business.
• Vertical integration is when the main large parent company owns multiple companies across different stages of the film industry.

Repetitive strategies

• Following the same genres that are proven to generate the most profit to minimise risk

• Using the same star actors

• Leaving shows on cliff hangers to make sure they are interested in the next season or movie

• Or making more products out of one, such as song then selling concert tickets and merchandise

• In the present day, a lot of people aspire to be in a creative occupation however it is a struggle when you aren’t in a family or know people who can get you into it, no matter the creative ability you have, e.g cultural work in the complex professional era is that many more people seem to have wanted 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.
• David is currently a Professor of Media, music and culture at the University of Leeds.
• He has wrote books such as Understanding Media: Inside Celebrity (Maidenhead Open University Press, 2005), Media Production (Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2006), Media and Society, 6th edition (New York: Bloomsbury, 2019) and many more.
• Hesmondhalgh analyses the relationship between media and work as well as the media industry.
• Applying/getting a job requires luck or a family member to be successful.
• David Hesmondalgh says that the creative/cultural industry is a risky business.
• Businesses are divided into three sectors such as production, distribution and consumption.
• The strategies that minimise the risks are strategies such as the ‘Horizontal integration’ which enables large-scale institutions to achieve scale base cost savings while also allowing them to maximise profits by positioning brands so they do not compete with one another. A second way to minimise the risks is the vertical integration, this is where production, distribution, marketing specialist subsidiaries and media conglomerates can control all aspects of their supply chain while also achieving significant cost saving efficiencies. The final strategy of minimising risk is the multi-sector integration, this is the buying of companies across the culture industry, allowing for further cross-promotion opportunities and the deployment of brands across media platforms.

Cultural Industries – an economic field concerned with producing, reproducing, storing, and distributing cultural goods and services on industrial and commercial terms.

Production – the action of making or manufacturing from components or raw materials, or the process of being so manufactured.

Distribution – the methods by which media products are delivered to audiences, including the marketing campaign.

Exhibition / Consumption – a public display of works of art or items of interest, held in an art gallery or museum or at a trade fair.

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

Conglomerates – a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises.

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

Cultural Imperialism – Cultural Imperialism Theory states that Western nations dominate the media around the world which in return has a powerful effect on Third World Cultures by imposing n them Western views and therefore destroying their native culture.

Vertical Integration – when a Media Company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution.

Horizontal Integration – a Media Company’s Ownership of several businesses of the same value. A Media Company can own a Magazine, Radio, Newspaper, Television and Books. 

Mergers – an acquisition in which one or more of the undertakings involved carries on a media business in the Page 2 State and one or more of the undertakings involved carries on a media business elsewhere.

Monopolies – concentrated control of major mass communications within a society.

Gatekeepers – is a process by which information is filtered to the public by the media.

Regulations – a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority.

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

Free Market – an economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses.

Commodification – the act or fact of turning something into an item that can be bought and sold.

Convergence – a phenomenon involving the interconnection of information and communications technologies, computer networks, and media content.

Diversity – it means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. 

Innovation – the process of not just an “invention” of a new value for journalism, but also the process of implementing this new value in a market or a social setting to make it sustainable.