How Does the Structure of the Media Impact upon Content - Coursework Example

How Does the Structure of the Media Impact Upon Content? Name Institution Course Professor Date Media is broad and can be considered as a combination of films, music, radio, publications, TV, electronic games and advertisements content (Locksley 2009, p.01). Over time, expansion and proliferation of the things constituting ‘the media’ has been realised. This is due to the close entanglement between the media and technological changes which has affected content and platforms. It has also led to rise of various ownership structures that have impacted on the media content. Every new development in the media industry has an effect on media format and content. For example, in the 20th century, mass media was developed (Locksley 2009, p. 01). Moreover, global media foundations were witnessed. Globalization as a corporate structure has also evolved and has criticised because of its potential impacts on media quality and content (Hollified, 2011, p. 201). The link between structure and performance has been found to be strong hence the media content is affected by the kind of media structure. This essay discuss how structure of the media impact upon the content. Organizational structure is important especially in times where there is market uncertainty and organization aims at surviving. The structure that is established at each level influence structure of other levels, and ultimately, influences organizational performance. Organizational structure in the media industry tends to experiment on new structures more often in order to increase organizational performance and appease its audience through its content. In fact, media content is a product that is culture-based (Hollifield 2011, p. 199). The more the organisational structure is formalised, centralised and specialised, the more the content is placed centrally (Benilian 2006, p. 73). In this case, the kind of media structure adopted will have impact on the type of content produced. The digitalisation of media content and its distribution all over the world through digital platforms has accelerated the transformation of media in the 21st century. This digital transformation complements the traditional media platforms and models. In essence, proliferation of media platforms and delivery modes of media content is the major difference between today’s media and its predecessors (Dwyer 2010, p. 12). The developments that have been achieved mean that consumers face new set of communication services that are profoundly different from those of 1970s even until mid-1990s. In the process of change in the structure of the media, content is also affected. Media holds lots of power all over the world as they select what worldviews to promote over others. This is done through various written media as well as visual programs that include documentaries, news, drama, comedies and reality TV shows. Media construct people’s reality and helps in defining ourselves (Kenix 2011, p. 01). It represents us, governments, politics and social institutions. Audience are bound to react to the kind of messages being relayed. The content, scope and the very existence of the media can be changed from the reaction of the audience especially now that innovative technologies are utilised (Cohen 2009, p. 233). Nevertheless, media corporations are increasingly owned by the private sector and they have a lot of power they can exercise in making decisions about what is to be produced. Moreover, they have power on what view of the world that can be presented to the audience. It is true to assert that people see the world through what media presents to them and it is not simply available to them. Media industry has seen tremendous growth pertaining to structural change in the last few decades. It has grown to become increasingly influential and pervasive force in the society (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 32). The structural changes that have been realised and continued to be witnessed in the media industry are as a result of various strategies that are undertaken by major media players. This is as a response to the pressures from the investors seeking short-term profits (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 32). Due to structural changes, the content of the media is thus impacted. Media chose the content that will result in rigorous debates, elicit so much reaction from the audience and different views on the subject matter is realised. In this case, attention will be given to media house that publishes such information hence increasing its ratings, and ultimately, its profits. In several developed countries, there have been decisive changes to the structure of the media. The structural transformations include rise of regional and local broadcasters, rise of free dailies and broadcasting has been comprehensively digitalised (Luct & Udris 2010, p. 02). In addition, dramatic structural changes that been seen in the last quarter century in media industry include concentration of ownership, globalization and growth and ownership (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 33). As these structures were changing, and so do the content. In fact, the content of the media is dependent on structures that entrenches it (Altmeppen 2006, p. 134). Due to these changes in structures, the content has also been changing as they depend on these structures. Media growth has expanded greatly in the recent decades. The number of media outlets that are available today via internet, satellite and cable are greater in this period than in any other. In essence, the growth of media companies have been realised at an unprecedented level. In most cases, mergers have been the catalyst (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, 23). Today’s media companies comprise of wide variety of media. It is very likely that the present media giants engage in nearly all the aspects of media that include publications, music, television, internet, film among others. Expansion of a media firm can be done through foundation of new media entities or gather more audience for existing media through change of structure and content (Baker 2006, 164). The growth of media has seen adoption of technological innovation in relaying its content. The transformation of video, audio, and text into digital format has led to convergence of different media forms meaning that there has also been convergence of media businesses. It is now easier for companies to carry out re-packaging of the same content for different media because of common digital foundation of the present media (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 34). The content is thus provided to a large audience in than shorter time than before. Just like in any other industry, media companies grow, pursue global strategies and integrate. For this reason, the entire media industry becomes more concentrated with a few newly formed media giants. Media conglomerates are expanding and this does not by any way mean the media ownership is developing to become more concentrated. However, there has been a sharp rise in media ownership concentration with the number of firms that control media have decline significantly (Bagdikian 2004, p. 03). The conglomerates that have been formed own and control most of the television and radio stations, magazines, newspapers and motion picture studios. The kind of content they chose to release to the public depends on the kind of messages they want the public to know. Therefore, ownership structure affects content of the media (Dwyer 2010, p. 16).As conglomerates control most of the media outlets, the content of the media hence represents the ideals of these media houses. The public is thus exposed to opinions and viewpoints of these large media corporations whose interests are not the same. Content and messages that are not in line with the revenue goals, values and prevailing attitudes of these corporations gets no exposure or are given very little, if any. In all over the world, media companies have grown, become more integrated and ‘globalised’ its operations in carrying out effective business strategies. For major media firms, structural changes act as a means in achieving their goals (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 32).in general, the big media corporations seeks maximization of profits. Structural changes that have been undertaken by these firms have led to facilitation of new strategies that places premium on profits. The content is impacted in the process as the company aims at maximising profit as possible. Large media companies have resources and they usually use them to their advantage. For example, they can carry out an advertisement and promotion of a product by using expensive multifaceted campaigns. The content in the advert can be distorted as a means to an end. Expansion of media several decades ago was hampered by various factors, most importantly, large amount of investment. The number of media houses that had substantial outreach could not expand due to lack of necessary finance. Over time, this limitation has been increasingly overcome little by little. In a well developed market, this act as effective natural barriers to entry of other players into the media industry. Process of media concentration started and ownership of major media outlets become increasingly control by few entities. They concentrate on producing a specialised content to media consumers as distribution platforms were being proliferated. Consumption of media content is spread across media platforms after fragmentation hence contribute to emergence of new media audience behaviour patterns (Mierzejewska 2010, p. 23). This behaviour is elicited by two different types of consumers. Media industry is different from other sectors as they always sell two sets of separate products to different customers. Most companies involved in making of consumer products undertake its operations in a single market, that is, goods that are produced are sold directly to one set of consumers. Media sector is different as it sells its product to two set of consumers (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 41). The first market is selling of the content to various audiences such as listeners, viewers and readers. Selling audience attention to advertisers is the second market. This is measured through circulation, ratings among others. In most cases, media depends on advertisers in order to survive. A higher TV rating means higher revenue to a media house. It thus puts mechanisms in place to attract large audience that will allow them to charge more for advertisement. This is done with total disregard of the content as long as the ratings are high hence higher revenue. Today, media are also interested in other investments having seen the benefit of diversification. Large corporations often expand its activities across different nations. In this case, major media tends to have political bias. Additionally, most of the businessmen own large percentage of mass media which hugely depends on advertising revenue. Herman and Chomsky 2006, p. 271) asserted that the dominant media forms are controlled by wealthy people that are closely interlocked and they have important common interests with government, banks and other major corporations. Editors, reports and most of the staff members are selected depending on how well their work reflects the employer’s needs and interests. Therefore, a more mainstream reporter and a radical one both having the same abilities and skills would probably have careers that are different in the media industry. The work of a radical reporter is unlikely to be printed without being change or edited unless they toned down. The structure in a media corporation hence seems to penalise radical views and encourage acceptance of status quo for purposes of furthering a career. This process of selection provides assurance to owners because there is no need of ordering editors or reporters on what to do, rather, they have to have to internalise employers values for them to be successful. At the end, media content is affected. Media has power of establishing a given agenda in the public sphere. This depends in part on the kind of relations it has with power centres (Littlejohn & Foss, p. 295). Structure of media also plays a part. When the media has a close relationship with the society’s elite society, this class will most likely affect the agenda of the media and ultimately, the public agenda. The agenda is stems from the kind of content that media broadcast and stress to the public. Many critical theorists believe that media can be a dominant ideology instrument in a society. The dominant ideology will permeate into the public agenda when this occurs. Media content is normally interpreted in a given community according to the meanings generated from social talks in a group (Littlejohn & Foss, p. 295). The content that media produce depends on the structure. Using this logic, structure of the media will be done to conform to the kind of messages or meaning that the media wants the community to have from its content. in the end, structure of media will have had an impact on the content. References Altmeppen, K 2006, Journalism and Media Organizations: Services, Structures and Management, Springer, Berlin. Bagdikian, B. H 2004, The new media monopoly, Beacon Press, Boston. Baker, C. E 2006, Media concentration and democracy: Why ownership matters, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Benlian, A 2006, Content Infrastructure Management: Results of an empirical study in the print industry. Wiesbaden: Deutscher Universit̃ts-Verlag. Cohen, J 2009, ‘Mediated Relationships and Media Effects: Parasocial Interaction and Identification’, In R.L Robin & M.B Oliver, The Sage Handbook of Media Processes and Effects, Sage, Los Angeles. Croteau, D & Hoynes, W 2007, ‘The Media Industry: Structure, Strategy and Debates’, In E. Devereux (ed), Media Studies: Key Issues and Debates, Sage, Los Angeles, pp. 32-54. Dwyer, T 2010). Media convergence, McGraw Hill/Open University Press, New York. Herman, E. S & Chomsky, N 2006, ‘The propaganda model’, 2nd edn, In M.G Durham & D.M Kellner (eds), Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 257-294. Hollifield, A 2011, ‘Changing Perceptions of Organizations’, In W Lowrey & P J Gade (eds), Changing the News: The Forces Shaping Journalism In Uncertain Times, Routledge, New York. Kenix, L. J 2011, Alternative and mainstream media: The converging spectrum, Bloomsbury Academic, London. Littlejohn, S. W & Foss, K. A 2008, Theories of human communication, 9th edn, Thomson/Wadsworth, Australia. Locksley, G 2009, The media and development: What's the story?. Washington, D.C: World Bank. Lucht, J & Udris, L 2010, ‘Transformation of Media Structures and Media Content: A Diachronic Analysis of Five Western European Countries (No. 49)’, NCCR Democracy Working Papers. Retrieved 04 April 2015, < http://www.nccr-democracy.uzh.ch/publications/workingpaper/pdf/WP_49.pdfhttp://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/3-overview-current-secrecy-laws/duties-confidentiality-and-loyalty-and-fidelity Read More

In essence, proliferation of media platforms and delivery modes of media content is the major difference between today’s media and its predecessors (Dwyer 2010, p. 12). The developments that have been achieved mean that consumers face new set of communication services that are profoundly different from those of 1970s even until mid-1990s. In the process of change in the structure of the media, content is also affected. Media holds lots of power all over the world as they select what worldviews to promote over others.

This is done through various written media as well as visual programs that include documentaries, news, drama, comedies and reality TV shows. Media construct people’s reality and helps in defining ourselves (Kenix 2011, p. 01). It represents us, governments, politics and social institutions. Audience are bound to react to the kind of messages being relayed. The content, scope and the very existence of the media can be changed from the reaction of the audience especially now that innovative technologies are utilised (Cohen 2009, p. 233). Nevertheless, media corporations are increasingly owned by the private sector and they have a lot of power they can exercise in making decisions about what is to be produced.

Moreover, they have power on what view of the world that can be presented to the audience. It is true to assert that people see the world through what media presents to them and it is not simply available to them. Media industry has seen tremendous growth pertaining to structural change in the last few decades. It has grown to become increasingly influential and pervasive force in the society (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 32). The structural changes that have been realised and continued to be witnessed in the media industry are as a result of various strategies that are undertaken by major media players.

This is as a response to the pressures from the investors seeking short-term profits (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 32). Due to structural changes, the content of the media is thus impacted. Media chose the content that will result in rigorous debates, elicit so much reaction from the audience and different views on the subject matter is realised. In this case, attention will be given to media house that publishes such information hence increasing its ratings, and ultimately, its profits. In several developed countries, there have been decisive changes to the structure of the media.

The structural transformations include rise of regional and local broadcasters, rise of free dailies and broadcasting has been comprehensively digitalised (Luct & Udris 2010, p. 02). In addition, dramatic structural changes that been seen in the last quarter century in media industry include concentration of ownership, globalization and growth and ownership (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, p. 33). As these structures were changing, and so do the content. In fact, the content of the media is dependent on structures that entrenches it (Altmeppen 2006, p. 134). Due to these changes in structures, the content has also been changing as they depend on these structures.

Media growth has expanded greatly in the recent decades. The number of media outlets that are available today via internet, satellite and cable are greater in this period than in any other. In essence, the growth of media companies have been realised at an unprecedented level. In most cases, mergers have been the catalyst (Croteau & Hoynes 2007, 23). Today’s media companies comprise of wide variety of media. It is very likely that the present media giants engage in nearly all the aspects of media that include publications, music, television, internet, film among others.

Expansion of a media firm can be done through foundation of new media entities or gather more audience for existing media through change of structure and content (Baker 2006, 164). The growth of media has seen adoption of technological innovation in relaying its content. The transformation of video, audio, and text into digital format has led to convergence of different media forms meaning that there has also been convergence of media businesses.

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