Pluralist Approaches to Ownership and Control of the Media | The Media | AQA A-Level Sociology

Summary

This sociology tutorial video explores the pluralist approach to media ownership and control. Pluralism emphasizes the variety of media sources available, reflecting diverse audience interests and needs. It contrasts with Marxist views by suggesting that media ownership is more dispersed and that content is driven by audience demand. The video discusses how media caters to different social groups and political ideologies, using examples like alternative news outlets and the impact of new media platforms. It also touches on the democratic nature of media, where audience choices shape content creation, and the economic motivations behind media production. Despite criticisms, pluralism maintains that the media landscape offers consumers a range of choices.

Takeaways

• 📚 Pluralism in media focuses on the variety of sources available and how they reflect diverse audience interests and needs.
• 🌟 Pluralists argue against Marxist views by stating that media ownership is more spread out and not concentrated in the hands of a few powerful entities.
• 🔍 The audience's demand influences media content, as owners cater to their preferences to maintain viewership and readership.
• 📈 Media is seen as a product driven by rational economics, with content creation based on market demand and profitability.
• 🌐 The rise of New Media, such as YouTube and blogs, offers a platform for alternative viewpoints and caters to niche audiences.
• 📰 Newspapers, both mainstream and alternative, reflect the pluralist view by providing a spectrum of political ideologies and interests.
• 📊 Media sources collect data on audience preferences to tailor content, ensuring they align with what the public wants to consume.
• 📺 Popular content formats are often replicated across different platforms to meet audience demand, as seen with reality TV shows.
• 💸 Media businesses rely on advertising revenue or subscriptions, which means they must create content that appeals to their audience to stay profitable.
• 🗳️ Pluralism views media as democratic, with content being a reflection of popular culture and audience choices shaping what is produced.
• 🤔 Criticisms of pluralism include the argument that media owners manipulate content to create a false sense of choice and promote false needs.

Q & A

What is the pluralist approach to the media?

The pluralist approach to the media focuses on the wide range of media sources available to consumers and how these different forms of media reflect the interests and needs of the audience.

How does pluralism view media ownership compared to Marxist approaches?

Pluralists argue that media ownership is more diverse compared to Marxist views, which focus on concentration of media ownership into the hands of a few powerful groups.

What role does audience choice play in the pluralist perspective of media?

In the pluralist perspective, audience choice is central. Media owners and controllers look to represent the views of the audience by offering content that meets their demands.

How does the pluralist approach explain the existence of alternative media sources?

Pluralists suggest that alternative media sources exist because media is driven by rational economics; if there is a demand for a specific type of content, media owners will create it.

What is an example of alternative media sources mentioned in the script?

Examples of alternative media sources mentioned include Guido Fawkes, Breitbart, Novara Media, and The Canary, which provide alternatives to mainstream media.

How does the pluralist approach view the relationship between media and popular culture?

Pluralists view media as democratic and promoting aspects of popular culture, with iconic moments from TV dramas and comedy becoming part of the cultural framework.

What is the role of advertising revenue and subscriptions in media production according to pluralism?

According to pluralism, media sources are often based on advertising revenue or income from subscriptions, and this demand-led approach influences the content created to ensure profitability.

How does the pluralist approach respond to criticism that media promotes false needs and illusions of choice?

Pluralists argue that despite criticisms, the range of media sources means that people still have a choice to switch over or click onto another website if they don't agree with the messages being promoted.

What does the pluralist approach suggest about the influence of the audience on media content?

Pluralists suggest that the audience dictates content to a certain extent and even creates it, as seen in the rise of memes and social media engagement.

How does the pluralist approach view the impact of New Media on media diversity?

The pluralist approach sees the explosion of New Media in the digital age as evidence of increased choice and diversity, even if the majority of media promotes similar ideals.

Outlines

00:00

📺 Pluralist Approach to Media Ownership and Control

This paragraph introduces the pluralist approach to media studies, emphasizing the diversity of media sources available to consumers and how they reflect the interests and needs of the audience. Pluralism contrasts with Marxist views by arguing that media ownership is not concentrated in the hands of a few powerful groups but is more widespread. It suggests that media owners cater to audience demands by offering diverse content, and that the media landscape is driven by market forces. Examples of alternative media sources like YouTube and blogs are given to illustrate how niche interests are served. The paragraph also discusses how media sources use data on audience preferences to create popular content, and how this approach is seen as democratic, with media reflecting societal demographics and popular culture.

05:00

🤔 Critique of Pluralism in Media Studies

The second paragraph critiques the pluralist approach by presenting alternative viewpoints, primarily from Marxist perspectives. It suggests that pluralism overlooks the fact that media owners, editors, and reporters manipulate content to create a false sense of choice for the audience. Near-Marxists argue that the media promotes false needs and an illusion of choice, despite the availability of various TV channels and streaming services that often produce similar content. The paragraph also discusses the challenges of maintaining a pluralist media landscape in the 21st century, as noted by Davies, but concludes that the digital age and the rise of new media platforms provide evidence of a wide range of choices for consumers, supporting the pluralist view that the audience has a significant role in dictating and creating media content.

Keywords

💡Pluralism

Pluralism, in the context of media sociology, refers to the idea that media ownership is spread across many entities, leading to a diversity of viewpoints and content. It emphasizes the variety of media sources available to consumers and how they reflect the interests and needs of the audience. The video discusses pluralism as a counterpoint to Marxist approaches, suggesting that media content is not controlled by a few powerful groups but is instead driven by the diverse interests of the public. Examples from the script include the existence of alternative media outlets like Guido Fawkes, Breitbart, Novara Media, and The Canary, which cater to different political ideologies.

💡Media Ownership

Media ownership refers to the control and management of media outlets by individuals or organizations. The video script argues that pluralists believe in a more diverse media ownership, which allows for a wider range of viewpoints to be represented. This is contrasted with the Marxist view that media ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few powerful entities. The script suggests that media owners, in a pluralist system, respond to audience demands by providing content that reflects their interests.

💡Audience Demand

Audience demand is central to the pluralist approach, where media content is seen as being driven by what the audience wants to consume. The video explains that media owners create content based on the demand to ensure profitability. For instance, the script mentions that if there is a demand for a specific type of content, media owners will produce it, and if there is limited demand, it might be produced by smaller media sources or through new media platforms like YouTube or blogs.

💡New Media

New Media refers to digital and internet-based platforms for content distribution, such as blogs, YouTube, and social media. The video script highlights the role of New Media in providing alternative viewpoints and catering to niche interests that may not be served by traditional media. It is seen as a democratizing force that allows for a broader range of voices and content, supporting the pluralist view of media diversity.

💡Rational Economics

Rational economics, as discussed in the video, is the idea that media production is driven by economic considerations, such as supply and demand. Media owners are portrayed as rational economic actors who create content based on its potential for profitability. The script uses this concept to argue that media content is a reflection of audience preferences and demands, as owners seek to maximize their revenue by satisfying these demands.

💡Public Interest

Public interest, in the context of the video, is the notion that media should serve the needs and interests of the public. Pluralists argue that media is created as a result of public interest, and media sources spend time and money understanding audience preferences to cater to them. The video gives examples of how media trends, such as reality TV shows, are driven by audience interest and are replicated across different platforms to meet this demand.

💡Democracy in Media

Democracy in media is the concept that media should be reflective of the choices and interests of the people. The video suggests that pluralists view media as democratic because it is based on audience choices about what they watch, read, or listen to. Media sources are seen as reflecting the social demographics of society and promoting popular culture, which is a key aspect of a democratic media landscape.

💡Advertising Revenue

Advertising revenue is a key financial model for many media outlets, as discussed in the video. It is the income generated from selling advertising space to companies that want to promote their products. The script explains that media sources, especially commercial television, rely on advertising revenue, and therefore, they create content that attracts viewers to keep advertisers interested.

💡Subscription Services

Subscription services are media platforms that require users to pay a fee to access their content. The video script mentions that these services are becoming increasingly important in the digital age, as they rely on audience revenue. The pluralist view is that subscription services must cater to audience preferences to maintain their revenue, further supporting the idea that media content is demand-driven.

💡Cultural Framework

The cultural framework refers to the shared beliefs, values, and experiences that shape a society's culture. The video script discusses how media, particularly through popular culture, contributes to this framework. Iconic moments from TV shows or dramas, for example, can become part of the cultural framework, and even unexpected moments can turn into memes, reflecting the pluralist idea that the audience both dictates and creates content.

💡False Consciousness

False consciousness is a Marxist concept mentioned in the video to critique pluralism. It suggests that the media creates an illusion of choice for the audience, manipulating them into believing they have control over the content they consume when, in reality, it is predetermined by media owners, editors, and reporters. This challenges the pluralist view that media is democratic and driven by audience demand.

Highlights

Pluralism focuses on the wide range of media sources available to consumers.

Pluralism argues that media ownership is more diverse than Marxist approaches suggest.

Different forms of media are believed to reflect the interests and needs of the audience.

Media is driven by rational economics, creating content based on audience demand.

New Media, such as YouTube or blogs, provides alternative content for niche audiences.

The broad choice of media sources means there is something for everyone.

Alternative political views are increasingly promoted online.

Media sources spend time and money understanding their audience's tastes and preferences.

Popular content is often replicated across different platforms to meet audience demand.

Media sources base their content on advertising revenue or subscription income.

Media is democratic, based on the choices people make about what they consume.

Media promotes aspects of popular culture and can become part of the cultural framework.

The audience dictates content to a certain extent and even creates it.

Marxist critics argue that the media creates a false consciousness of choice.

Near Marxists suggest that the media promotes false needs through advertising.

Davies suggests that pluralism faces challenges in the 21st century but still offers choice.

The digital age and New Media make it difficult to argue against the existence of choice.

Transcripts

welcome to this tutor to you sociology

topic video looking at ownership and

control of the media focusing on

pluralist approaches

you studying the media sociologists

often discuss the pluralist approach but

what is pluralism

pluralism is an approach to the media

that focuses on The Wider range of media

sources that are available to Consumers

and how these different forms of media

reflect the interests and needs of the

audience

whilst Marxist approaches focus on the

concentration of media ownership into

the hands of a few powerful groups

pluralists argue that media ownership is

more diverse

they also argue that a range of

viewpoints are promoted by these diverse

media owners

as the audience for media has more

Choice the owners and those that control

the media will look to represent the

views of the Audience by offering

content that meets the demands of Their

audience

pluralists suggest that media like any

other product that is consumed is driven

by rational economics

if there is a demand for a specific type

of content then those who own in

controller media will create that

content

if there is limited demand then it is

unlikely to be produced or may be

produced by smaller media sources for

example through New Media such as

YouTube or blogs

whale argues that the broad choice of

media sources available means that there

is something for everyone

and that all of the different social

groups political ideologies and key

demographics are catered For

example with newspapers whilst there are

many newspapers that conform to

mainstream media

stereotypes there are alternative

Publications available either online or

in print

this can be further evidenced than the

era of New Media with the growth of

alternative political views being

promoted online for example Guido Forks

Breitbart Novara media and the canary

all providing alternatives to the

mainstream media and its middle of the

road approach

whilst these will not be as popular as

traditional forms of media such as the

Daily Mail the Sun or the mirror they do

cater for those with alternative

political views and in contemporary

Society they are growing in popularity

which reflects the pluralist view that

media is created as a result of public

interest

pluralists argue that media is dictated

by the audience and that media sources

spend money and time collating data on

circulation figures viewing figures and

compiling surveys and polls on the

tastes and preferences of Their audience

pluralists argue that the most popular

forms of content are often replicated

across different platforms is Media

sources no that is what people want and

like

programs such as Strictly Come Dancing

and love Island will create Copycat

shows or spin-offs to complement the

viewers experiences

Trends such as those are reality TV in

the late 1990s and early part of the

21st century may have started with

programs such as big brother but similar

formats were used in order to meet the

demands of the audience

one of the main reasons for this

demand-led approach is that media

sources are often based on either

advertising revenue or income from

subscriptions

if people don't get what they want then

Revenue decreases as people turn off or

stop buying the publication

media is a demand-led business and

owners and those in control of the media

focus on creating content that will meet

those demands and be profitable

pluralists argue that the media is

democratic it is based upon the choices

that people make about what they watch

or what they read or what they listen to

media sources look to reflect the social

demographics of society

in New Media this is even more important

to subscription services and social

media platforms are based upon revenues

earned

and if there is no audience there is no

revenue and so popular programming is

promoted

commercial television is Reliant upon

advertising and so viewing figures for a

program are low advertisers will not pay

to advertise their product when that

program is on

media is also perceived as Democratic as

it promotes aspects of popular culture

iconic moments in history or scenes from

TV dramas and comedy become part of the

cultural framework

even unexpected moments can become memes

in the world of social media and this

reflects pluralist ideas that the

audience dictates content

and to a certain extent creates it

however pluralist approaches have been

criticized by other approaches

Marxist suggests that it is not the

audience that chooses the content but

rather the owners editors and reporters

who manipulate the media creating a

false consciousness that we have a

choice in what we watch when in reality

it's chosen for us

near marxists suggest that plural is

failed to take into account that the

media promotes false needs through

advertising whilst also promoting an

illusion of choice

for example through different TV

channels or streaming services that

largely produce similar content

whilst all the pluralists suggest that

owners and those that control the media

make rational economic decisions

Davies has suggested that this becomes

increasingly difficult in the 21st

century

but that the range of media sources

means that people still have a choice to

switch over or click onto another

website if they don't agree with the

messages being promoted

with the explosion of New Media in the

digital age it's difficult to argue that

there is not a choice

even if the majority of media promotes

similar ideals

that concludes this tutor to you

sociology topic video on ownership and

control of the media looking at

pluralist approaches thanks for watching