Theories of the Media & Influences

on Media content

Chapter 6: Media
 Short outline of today’s session

Insights about Media and its role in the society

➯ Media market
➯ Politics of Media
➯ Influence of Media on its audience-Positive or Negative?

Pluralist theories of media-Rejection of Marxist interpretations

Marxists & Neo-Marxist theories of media

What is a propaganda?
➯ How a propaganda is proposed through Media
➯ 5 filters of Propaganda Model by Noam Chomksy & Edward Herman
 Pluralist theories of media

2.
1. 3.
Changing nature of media market
Information
diversity Media diversity
Consumer interest guarantees
Enhancement of information
diversity with the consumer choice
development of new media • A variety of media• Validated truth: Owners
reflecting range of provide consumers with
views the information & (Argument)-
E.g.-Websites,Blogs,Social
services they demand Competition does not
media networks
-in the interest of every (Criticized by 3 automatically mean
section of society, even arguments) media diversity
the ordinary people.
 Marxist theories of media

1. 2. 3.
Influential
Media market
ideological Part of Political &
institutions Ideological Consumers are passive
superstructure in receivers of what owners
• Can shape and fully decide want to publish.
people’s general thoughts &
Capitalist society
behaviors
(Criticized)-
• Minority
MANIPULATIVE MARXIST • Lacks Unified view
APPROACH • Dominant Ideology
• False consciousness
You're being manipulated and don't even know it | Nate
Pressner

➯ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKMTVRu5Guk
 Neo-Marxist theory of media

1.
Hegemonic Influence (Dominant)
-Not Manipulative

Owners & controllers have a common economic interest

E.g.-Fundamental belief in Capitalist economic system-share common
cause in promoting their core values through media
• Key principle-profitability
Propaganda: biased or misleading information used to promote a
particular ideology or point of view.
e.g.- PM Modi & Covid

Keep repeating a lie a 100 times, it will begin

sounding like a truth

 Dr Joseph Goebbels , the propaganda minister of Nazi

Germany and the biggest follower of Hitler
Fun Fact
 Propaganda Model-5 filters

OWNERSHIP SOURCING IDEOLOGY OF

Whatever is reported is in the Media have to rely on
FEAR
favor of corporations who sources: Fear of groups that
own the mainstream media
pose real or imagined
Politicians,Corporation,Trad threat
ADVERTISING e org. FLAK
Media has to attract wealthy
so that they are reluctant to Negative responses to news stories
audiences for advertisers
offend these sources.
-News content has to fit with E.g.-Oil corp. using media to
the interest of advertisers question climate change
 Key sociologist –Noam Chomksy (social critic)
● 1988
Media across political
● Written widely about US spectrum
● Role of media in modern ● Legitimizes state policies
societies. ● Marginalizes their opinions

● Ignores news that does not fit their ideology.

How news is structured so that it
becomes propaganda for the state &
capitalism.
Subtle censorship of US
Difficult to undermine than the obvious
use of propaganda in Soviet Union.
Media manipulate their
audiences .
 Media: Fourth Pillar of Democracy- Thomas Carlyle
But seeing the present condition of our media, I can only say
they are nothing but PR and propaganda organizations.
And no, they are not limited to helping government.
All but some media houses, are focusing on amassing power
and wealth. And for that they side with either of the
section of Indian politics.
Indian media-despite of so much imp topics going on in the country,
they show what’s spicy and entertaining
Because, we, the audience wants to watch these stuff. We are the ones
who are guiding the headlines of our media channels. We are the
ones who watch these spicy news shows.
 ‫اطار فاطمي‬

‫المجلس الثاني ‪1418-‬‬