Analysis Portfolio of Media Power - Report Example

Media Power Research Portfolio Entry 1: The Political Economy Analysis of Media in News and Current Affairs The political economy theory in media suggests that the structure of the industry have a big influence on the content in the media. According to Comofero (2010) the political economy of culture, media and communication involves the analysis of social relations, in particular power relations that jointly consist of production, distribution as well as consumption of resources and thus media owners, advertisers, competitors, government regulations as well as viewers/readers are the ones that influence the media content (Wright, 2010). The focus of this essay encompasses the political and economic characteristics of media in the news and current affairs. Basically, the essay will analyse the interplay of economic, political, cultural and social life in regard to media. Issues in political economy media draw attention to social inequalities within media representations because through political economy reality provided within media text can be distinguished. The significance of social class in regard media ownership and audience interpretation of media texts is a vital aspect in media analysis and this is demonstrated by political economy in media. Harvey (2000) explains that critical political economy analysis the role of media in economic, societal, social, political and cultural life. Political analysis of media is holistic because it perceives economy as interrelated with society, culture and politics as well. Comofero (2010) highlights that the key processes that form the basis of critical political economy include the media growth, expansion of corporate reach, commodification and the shifting role of state and government involvement (Comofero, 2010). Media growth is about how the society perceives media industries as the reasonable platform to analyse contemporary culture and thus results to an increase in media production. As a result, the process has led to emergence of big corporations which progressively are embracing privatization. This has in turn made corporations to dominate the media industry where even they mould media productions according to their strategies and interests. Such domination can lead to producers and other industries allied to media to have significant control on the direction of cultural societal activities. Generally, this affects newspapers and magazines as well as the cultural production in radio and television for updates in news and current affairs (McChesney, 2006). In regard to economic determination of media, media is a culture industry. This is because the economic base of corporations in regard to their productions is the primary determinant of the media contents and meanings that their messages carry. Therefore, commercial media corporations then cater for the advertisers’ requirements and produce audience-maximizing products for advertising proceeds (Comofero, 2010). Whereas specific media corporations where dominant political institutions or government control their revenue, such media corporations have a tendency of reproducing interpretations that serve the interests of the ruling class and the elite. The media traits of news and current affairs play an important role in defining events worldwide as well as in reinforcement of consensual point of view by increasing the public opinion. Additionally, as Fenton (2008) emphasizes, the base and structure used in media has a direct relationship with matters of media ownership and control. The expansion of corporate reach reinforces the commodification of cultural life in media. This is because corporations produce commodities that can be consumed directly, for instance newspapers. Nonetheless, technology has resulted to more developments in domestic communication like television, computers and internet. Therefore currently cultural consumption necessitates consumers to buy the required device or hardware such as televisions, computers as a condition to access. Hence the ability of consumers to pay has an impact on the communicative activity (Wright, 2010). For instance, before an individual tunes in to the latest updates on news, one needs to own the required hardware. The effect of social aspect comes into play because the higher an individual’s social class or income, the higher the probability that the individual owns the required equipment such as phone, computer, or video recorder and certainly this implies that people of high social status have better access to media productions and hence social status affects consumption of media contents (Wright, 2010). In addition, commodification determines self-perpetuating advantage within the market and this eliminates gross inequalities of power and price. Owing to this aspect of the market, there is conformity to prince laws of supply and demand and thus there is automatic pressure to decrease any momentary imbalances (McChesney, 2006). Media corporations face political pressure especially in regard to news they should air or write. For instance, media houses can be politically pressured to air activities of certain politicians and also government can ban media houses not to have live interviews of individuals from certain political parties. Such political actions indisputably narrow public discourses regarding capitalist economic systems because they play a big role in the management of communicative activity in media (Wright, 2010). In addition, government intervention in media involves production regulation within the public interest to make sure there is a diversity of cultural production. For instance, government determines the content that can be produced and aired by banning media from using obscenities, expressing racial hatred or threatening national security. Since media content has an effect on how a society constructs its identity, this is where the significance of preserving national identity and security through regulations comes in. As a result, changes regarding public discourse and representation that challenge the importance of analyzing textual corporations (Harvey, 2000). Socio-economic groupings shape issues such as differential access and modes of interpretation. Representations in media, for example political coverage or social groups are normally analysed to expose the underlying ideas since such content continue affecting audience interpretations. Due to the society’s distribution power, different descriptions/reporting have different influences on the audience and thus this leads to structured differences in audience responses (Fenton, 2008). Therefore, through critical political economy relationships between funding and cultural production organization can be identified. In conclusion, a critical political economy effectively explains how the media functions and how political and economic forces influence media institutions and how government regulations affects production practices and media output. Entry 2: New Media with the Digital Technology Remarkable technological developments in the production, manipulation and dissemination of information and images have changed the journalism practices. In journalism, information technology has significantly changed several aspects of journalism. The high tech revolution has considerably changed the manner in which people access new and information and has taken away monopoly from the conventional mass media. The digitization of information, the generalization of the internet protocol as well as the fast uptake of the technologies has changed the production, storage, distribution and consumption of information in media (Gerbarg, 2012). According to Pat (2012) with the emergence of social networking platforms and smart phones, technology has turned out to be the key way of accessing information. Depending on technology for information enable immediate notifications of news and enables people to know regarding the latest events within just a few seconds. Since communication is a significant feature of any culture, the manner by which information spreads should adapt in accordance with the way individuals lives. There was a time when journalism was primarily print based and most individuals were ready to take time and read newspapers. With the emergence of digital technology, individuals are turning to the internet to access information and as a result print journalism is slowly disappearing and this can be evidenced by the steady reduction of print newspaper sales (Martin, 2010). Pat (2012) stipulates that the media landscape is continually transforming, where the new technologies and mediums are redefining the relation between the media and the public. The enormous changes within media landscape and the allied technologies have brought serious implications for the news and practice of democracy as well. Basically, the convectional media has been very successful in highlighting daily problems and developmental though the traditional media has for various reasons such as filtering of news has failed to broadcast the news and stories in a context that the public can understand the entirely and also it has not been as efficient as the digital media in regard to the news reaching the audience instantly: one of the cause of some shortcomings with the traditional media is lack of adequate technologies (Hirst, 2012). In addition, the traditional media has been predominantly one-way in regard to information flow, from the media institutions to the public. As a result, the audience has been passive and this has results to limited engagement of the public in media and the public (Gerbarg, 2012). The emergence of the digital revolution which includes internet, surfacing of new types of media as well as the emergence of social network platforms has redefined the media landscape entirely. Generally, the media is facing various first-time challenges due to the rise of various forms of media as well as due to the new dynamic of work. New technological devices such as smart phones are emerging exponentially and this has presented excessive opportunities and choices that the media landscape may not be familiar with yet (Gerbarg, 2012). The new media frontiers have deepened news and information resources and the key challenge is how the media can entirely optimize the potential that the digital media and internet presents. There are various ways in which the new media presents a chance of changing the state of affairs by enabling the reporters do things in a different way with their news (Pat, 2012). One, news can be used in making connections and this can be achieved through hypermedia or links, the tissue that connects to World Wide Web and the global publishing medium online. Using the links, it is possible for the media reporters to give extra background or in-depth information to their news. This can be particularly effective for the news that have ling lives and run for a long duration (Elizabeth, 2008). This is because there are numerous times that the audience forgets the background of certain stories in the news and they go searching for such stories in the internet. Because normally it is not possible to give the entire background of all stories in the media, maybe because of time or space, providing links to such stories in the internet can enable people to access the relevant material (Elizabeth, 2008). Secondly, the new media is very interactive because audience members are able to interact and even engage even with reporters. In this manner, reporters can be able to get a lead on trending news and even the interactions enable correction of errors. In addition, the audience is able to interact with content for instance by navigating through a 360-degree video. The audience can also be able to access more information, text, audio or video that offers additional explanations to the news stories (Pat, 2012). As Hirst (2012) explains, the new media allows broader usage of communication modalities. The digital and networked setting enables better presentation of words, sounds, graphics, motion photographs and such elements of media. These modalities can offer additional tools of telling stories or news and also enable better engagement of audiences due to the increased engagement of the audiences’ senses. Hirst (2012) further explains that when more communication modalities are engaged there is a better understanding, attention as well as retention and hence can be used in media (Elizabeth, 2008). Additionally, content is more dynamic within the digital setting because it is possible to update and keep the online content up to date for instance the digital broadcasting system. Online content can also be availed when the audience demands it and the flow of the content is constant from the source to receiver. As a result, audiences and media personnel are able to have a continuous connection irrespective of where the audience or journalists are because the connection is possible through the phones or other wireless digital gadgets (Hirst, 2012). The new media also facilitates new level of customization that is not possible with the traditional media. Media houses always try to make their news relevant and when there are breaking news media always to localize the news. With the new media, all news stories can be made potentially relevant to every specific individual (Martin, 2010). In conclusion, the new digital media provides an opportunity for media to transform billions of digital bits into limitless amounts of valuable information and avail the information to audiences. Entry 3: Propaganda Model and the Bias within the Media Landscape Mass media play a significant role within democratic societies because media is supposed to act as the liaison vehicle that reveals public opinion, responds to the concerns of public as well as informs people regarding the government policies, significant happenings and viewpoints. Therefore, media plays a big role regarding how the public understands the world because the media content reinforces ideologies, values and beliefs daily (Herman, 2003). Nonetheless, the media content is always filtered and sourced through various ways by which the media content is shaped. Filtering does not only involved the filtered media content on the news or newspapers but also the content that is left out through filtering. The propaganda model focuses on the inequalities of wealth and power and the impact of wealth and power on media at various levels. The propaganda model shows how the government and dominant private organizations influence people by determining what news the media presents through five filters in the model (Chomsky, 2013). One way by which the public is influenced using media is through ownership of medium. Ownership means that media industry needs a lot of resources to operate and the big wealthy players and resourceful individuals own the resources and hence own the media institutions. As Herman & Chomsky (1998) state, the dominant media companies are very big business that are controlled by extremely rich individuals or managers who are directed by the owners and other equally powerful forces. Therefore, people get the news and media content that the media ownership wants (Herman, 2003). Advertising forms the key funding to media companies for them to finance their production costs and generate profits. Consequently, advertising firms are key source of income for media industry and thus the media has to safeguard the interests of advertising firms while reporting news (Best, 2009). Advertisements create competition among news media in attracting advertisers and hence news medium like newspapers try to attract customers to their advertisements more than the news for them to satisfy the organizations that finance them. Consequently, this filter distorts media because the media institutions have to satisfy their advertisers for them to continue receiving their funds and support (Best, 2009). More importantly, media needs broadcasting information globally but it is impossible for the media to have reporters allover and thus they end up deploying reporters in important terminals such as presidential offices where vital information is available. In order to source mass media news, the media firms have to depend on powerful sources and the sources normally agree with the media on PR strategies to control information (Chomsky, 2013). Through the filter path of sourcing, media institutions concentrate their resources on places whey they are likely to access major news stories. This clearly indicates the bias in regard to the news media institution but it is perceived as inevitable because even the biggest media firms cannot always be everywhere news occurs (Best, 2009). Newsworthiness becomes a major player here since media institutions should carefully select the stories to carry investigations on and where to obtain the facts they require. Obviously, the interests of corporate are given priority when journalists chose to get information from these sources and thus journalists characteristically steer clear of broadcasting or publishing news that have a likelihood of damaging image of these sources and thus they broadcast and publish the news that the sources provide to them (Klaehn, 2002). Flak and enforcers is another way in which media is controlled. This refers to the likely negative responses that come following media statements. These responses may include legal suits, threats, phone calls and letters which in the long run may be costly for media and hence media desist from giving out controversial information. It is also the powerful corporations that use flak in controlling media content (Best, 2009). When popular opinions are doubted or questioned, corporate interest greatly try to counter any negative implications on them by using flak. Organizations and influential individuals seeking to defend themselves use flak machines and the media institutions whose news is deemed inauspicious are normally targeted. Flak strengthens media bias when media institutions choose to avoid triggering the flak by producing news with deliberate misrepresentations and exceptions (Herman & Chomsky, 1998). The last filter is anti-communism where the powerful nations influence reporting of their perceived enemies negatively (Chomsky, 2013). The anti-communists play a key role in manipulating the media, by utilizing the media’s influence to influence the public outlook towards a specific agenda. The concept of “worthy” and “unworthy” victims emerges where for instance the anti-communist government selects the stories that should be published and the manner in which such stories can trigger the targeted emotion against a specific cause (Klaehn, 2002). This is an important element to the propaganda model and with this aspect the media bias is evident. Generally, the government and big organizations and influential people have the ability of influencing media with money and capital influence into showing the information, news and political aspects that they want the public to watch, listen and read. Television is the major source of news in many homes and currently it is the most direct and influential form of media. The target audience that the television program generates has an influence on what is shown on television and this is how advertisers get to influence, sell their products to viewers and thus control the views of viewers, to create more capital and power. The propaganda model thus explains how media workforce adapts and conforms in serving the institutional interests. Bibliography Best, K., 2009, Maintaining Credibility While Pursuing New Revenue: The Impact of Contextual Advertising, Austria: Associated Press Media. Chomsky, N., 2013, What I'd like to see on front pages of newspapers, Belfast Telegraph: UK. Comofero, K., 2010, The political economy of the mass media, Global Media and Communication August, 6(2): 218-230. Elizabeth, V., 2008, Character, Audience Agency and Transmedia Drama, Media Culture & Society, 30(2), pp.197-213. Fenton, N., 2008, Political Economy and Cultural Studies Approaches to the Analysis of the Media, Melbourne: Wellesley. Gerbarg, D., 2012, Internet Television, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum. Harvey, L., 2000, Critical Social Research, London: Unwin Hyman. Herman, E & Chomsky, N., 1998, Manufacturing consent: the political economy of the mass media, London: Bodley Head. Herman, S., 2003, The Propaganda Model: A Retrospective Against all reason, Human Nation Review, 1:1-14. Hirst, M., 2012, Broadcast to Narrowcast: how digital technology is reshaping the mass media. Auckland: Education Association of New Zealand. Klaehn, J., 2002, A Critical Review and Assessment of Herman and Chomsky's Propaganda Model, European Journal of Communication, 17 (2):147-182. Martin, L., 2010, New Media: A Critical Introduction, London: Sage. McChesney, R., 2006, The Political Economy of the Mass Media, Monthly Review. Pat, B., 2012, New Media – New Pleasures? International Journal of Cultural Studies, 9(1): 63-82. Wright, P., 2010, Political Economy of Media, The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 14(3):.249-260. Read More