| THEME | NEWSBEAT | WAR OF THE WORLDS |
| OWNERSHIP [Institutions] | – BBC -Owned by the UK public -Funded through TV Licenses [paid yearly by public] -Paternalistic approach -1st Director= Lord Reith -Public Company [PLC] | -CBS [Colombia Broadcasting Service] -Owned by a multi national conglomerate [Paramount Global] -Funded though adverts on air -Private company [LTD] -vertical / horizontal integration ??? |
| HABERMAS | -Transformation of the public sphere – media is constantly changing BBC keeping up. -BBC ethos= to inform, entertain and educate. -Cecil Lewis- “Opening up new worlds to people” -Quality is important. They don’t make money to profit, it is put back into the BBC to make programmes -Fits into Habermas notion of transforming the public -Therefore the BBC is more paternalistic – what you need not what you want | -Most private business are aimed at making a profit -They care about profit more than their audience. -Just for profit is the commercial ethos -Commercial broadcasting is not supported by Habermas |
| CHOMSKY | ||
| CURRAN | -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 -Linking to Habermas’ theory of transformation of the Public sphere -BBC is being taken over by light daytime programmes= “peak-time tv are dominated by light entertainment | 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 -CBS used the ‘moral panic’ as an advertising technique? – |
| 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 | license fee regulates BBC as well. New technologies mean BBC faced with more competition NO advertising! -OFCOM -BBC Charter -BBC ethos- ‘educate, inform and entertain’ -The license fee regulates the BBC | Federal Communications Commission as regulator for private business ie not necessarily in the public interest |
| AUDIENCE (ACTIVE / PASSIVE) | Newsbeat encouraging active ‘uses and gratification’ model personal needs escapism, entertainment, self esteem and social needs. information, knowledge about the world, connecting with family, friends and community | War of the worlds raises the debate around audience as passive or active (ie Lasswell, linear model of communication like a hypodermic syringe) ie without thinking or reflecting on what we are told |
| AUDIENCE (LAZARSFELD) | -2 STEP FLOW~ Use opinion leaders such as Princess Kate and Prince William to speak up about Mental Health. Audience listen passively and will more likely believe it if it is from an opinion leader | -Orsen Welles unregulated opinion leader. -If audience seeking facts / truth about space and war they would seek opinion leaders from govt or science. |
| AUDIENCE (HALL) | ||
| NEW TECHNOLOGY | ||
| SPECIFIC TEXTUAL EXAMPLES | -Prince William and Kate presenting a special newsbeat edition on mental health -Kanye article | -Timestamp 39.30- radio goes silent. Maybe to create an eerie setting to scare audience? |
