| THEME | NEWSBEAT | WAR OF THE WORLDS |
| OWNERSHIP | BBC, PSB, Government, BBC board of trustees ?? DG (Lord Reith), BBC multi-media / cross-media, transnational / transglobal, not a monopoly, concentration of ownership (ie small number of firms who own TV and radio even though there are lots of different stations) I think the BBC has a left wing libertarian ideology ??? | CBS, Private company, Multi or cross media Conglomerate, transnational / transglobal (??), monopoly (???), it is an example of concentration of ownership ie just a few companies own everything (oligopoly ?? / cartel ??), vertical / horizontal integration ??? |
| HABERMAS | Transformation of the public sphere – media is constantly changing BBC keeping up. BBC intention enshrined in their ethos to inform, entertain and educate. Not to make money or profit – they put money back into programmes so Quality is important. I think this fits into Habermas notion of transforming the public Therefore the BBC is more paternalistic – what you need not what you want (this is tricky) | Most private business are aimed at making a profit – I think private business don’t care about the public, I think they care about profit. so they are more concerned with entertainment than education. Just for profit is a commercial ethos – not in the spirit of Habermas |
| CHOMSKY | ||
| CURRAN | James Curran writes about the ideas that underpin The Liberal Free Press, but much can apply to transformation of Public Sphere (Habermas) which in turn connects to ethos of PSB | some general ideas: 1. concerns about the commercial interest of big companies (prioritising profits over social concerns) 2. concentration of ownership – although not monopolies, the small number of big companies is not good for 3. competition 4. Diverse range of voices (plurality) 5. audience choices |
| SEATON | Seaton makes us aware of the power of the media in terms of big companies who own too much. commercial Seaton also makes clear that broadcasters selling audiences to products NOT audiences to programmes (ie no adverts on BBC) therefore BBC not chasing big exaggerated stories Newsbeat seeking informed citizens who want knowledge accountability – ie who looks after the BBC and makes sure it does what it is supposed to do: Annan Report 1980 “on balance the chain of accountability is adequate” independence – ie keeping free from state control “without a commitment to public service, broadcasters are increasingly vulnerable to political interference” | Seaton talks about rise and inevitable need for competition with new technologies – which provides choice Provides more entertainment for wider audiences ??? WoW targets mainstream entertainment seeking audiences the allusion of Choice – “Choice, without positive direction is a myth, all too often the market will deliver more -but only more of the same” |
| REGULATION | Ofcom, BBC Charter governed by Parliament, license fee regulates BBC as well. BBC / PSB ethos ‘to entertain, to inform and to educate’ (Reith) New technologies mean BBC faced with more competition NO advertising! | Federal Communications Commission as regulator for private business ie not necessarily in the public interest |
| AUDIENCE (ACTIVE/ PASSIVE) HYPODERMIC NEEDLE THEORY | Newsbeat links to audience being active as audiences are able to engage in the stories they want | War of the world links to audiences being passive believing everything they read in the media as they believed the martian invasion hypodermic needle theory suggests a media text can have a powerful and immediate effect on the passive audience. It would seem “The War of the Worlds” production supports this argument because so many terrified listeners, for example, “rushed out of their houses” |
| AUDIENCE (LAZARSFELD) | Two step flow – messages are taken in and given thought by consumers – happens with newsbeat a lot more than War of the Worlds. People follow those with the same beliefs as you – BBC as an unbiased opinion leader, the public follow programs made from the BBC as they know it is not made to spread an agenda or make profit. | two-step flow model of communication provides some insight into how the panic unfolded. For example, a “throng of playgoers had rushed” from a “theatre” because “news” of the invasion had “spread” to the audience. |
| AUDIENCE (HALL) | Short-form news stories will engage their audience and keep them up to date about the latest events around the world= preferred reading. Some listeners might appreciate the snackable content but will be then turn to other sources for the stories behind the headlines= negotiated reading. Other listeners will simply reject the encoded message and construct their own meanings = Oppositional meaning | Preferred reading of the text- Orson Welles “It’s supposed to show the corrupt condition and decadent state of affairs in democracy.” |
| NEW TECHNOLOGY | ||
| EXAMPLES |
