Year 13 Media Week 1 Holiday Work – Halo Trailer MEST 3 overview Understand how hegemony, pluralism and political economy models can be applied to media.

Karl Marx 1818-1883 “The ideas of the ruling classes are, in every age the ruling ideas” This means that those who control the flow of information control the values, beliefs and ideas of the majority.

Hegemony is the idea that an elite group dominates the majority. The elite will do all it can to protect its position of power and privilege. The opposite of hegemony is Pluralism It is usually accepted that in Western Europe, we live in a democratic, liberal pluralist society. This means, in theory, that the media is relatively free of bias and reflects a broad range of opinions rather than the views of a privileged minority.

How is hegemony achieved? Power and control over the majority can be achieved by: Military force (oppression, fear; as in dictatorships – e.g. N Korea, Nazi Germany) Wealth and inequality (the ‘feudal system’ dividing aristocratic , wealthy landowners and peasants/slaves; factory owners and workers) The Marxist view is that hegemony operates through economic exploitation. The theory that everything works to generate profit which remains in the hands of a small section of society is called the political economy model. Media bosses and corporations such as Murdoch’s NewsCorp could be seen as part of this structure. There are many examples of powerful media tycoons and conglomerates (large multi-national global corporations).

How do Moral Panics (Stanley Cohen) relate to hegemony? In order to hang on to their power, wealth and status, ruling elites manipulate public opinion by constructing narratives which divide people, spread rumours, fear and insecurity. This protects their position and preserves the status quo. How do moral panics work? Media generates a sense of hysteria about aspects of society’s moral decline (crime, violence, immigration, sexual They blame minority and vulnerable groups (scapegoating, ‘folk devils’) They enlist the support of their audiences for tougher laws, regulation and policing. This strengthens the position of elites and reinforces the status quo.

Why do the media tend to support those in power? Wealth & profit Advertising revenue personal links (‘old school tie’, ‘cronyism’) Where can we find media examples of moral panics? Tabloid newspapers, especially The Sun, The Express, the Mail Fox News What about alternative, pluralist media? The Guardian The Independent, the ‘I’ BuzzFeed Vice News Huffington Post But be careful with online media as so much of it involves hidden advertising and corporate influence –e.g. ‘listicles’ (e.g. ‘10 ways to avoid being a victim of crime’) are often paid-for corporate content.

Gramsci and cultural hegemony For Marxists such as Gramsci, hegemony is achieved, not by force but by winning the consent of the masses. In media terms this means giving audiences what they want so that they become unaware of and unconcerned about exploitation, economic inequality, consumerism, debt etc This ‘cultural sedation’ can be seen in so many areas of popular media: e.g. Popular game shows Celebrity culture Consumerism and commodification of culture (where everything is designed to make audiences pay for something without realising it). Audiences are turned into consumers. Sport & subscription TV; astronomical TV broadcasting rights paid to the FA. How can organisations like BT Sport & Sky afford these huge expenses? Antonio Gramsci 1891-1937 Marx called the unwitting collaboration of workers in their own exploitation: false consciousness

1) Compare the ‘Three Little Pigs’ Guardian advert with the Daily Mail ‘machine gun keyboard’ advert. Codes & conventions? Mode of Address ‘tone’? Target audience and their expectations? 2) In what ways is the Daily Mail more hegemonic in its approach? 3) What is the Guardian saying about populism, public opinion, bias and moral panics