marxist hegemonic perspective on media ownership

• main thinker of marxist hegemonic perspective

  glasgow university media group ( GUMG )
• overview of hegemonic marxist media theory


  media content does support interests of those who run capitalist system but this hegemony is accidental by-product of social backgrounds of journalists and broadcasters

  overwhelmingly white, middle class and male
• sutton trust 2006 and 2012 - makeup of media editors and journalists

  over 50% of top 100 journalists in UK education in independent private schools, which only educate 7% of all pupils
• GUMG - editors and journalists


  believe in middle of the road (consensus) views and ideas, which are generally unthreatening and they believe to appeal to majority of audience

  tend to see anyone who believes in ideas outside this media consensus as extremist and so they are rarely invited to contribute their opinions, and when such opinions are included they are often ridiculed
• marxist hegemonic perspective - GUMG and economic pressures


  journalistic desire to not rock the boat mainly motivated by profit over desire to transmit ideology

  media companies aim to make profit by attracting advertisers, who are attracted to numbers of readers and viewers

  if content is seen as off-putting or offensive, profits decline and so anything that might offend / upset viewers is excluded
• marxist hegemonic perspective - agenda setting


  spreading ideology via controlling how certain topics are discussed
• marxist hegemonic perspective - gate keeping


  deciding what is covered in the media and what isnt

  GUMG - media present fairly narrow agenda for discussion

  because of this ordinary members of society never really question the ways of the capitalist system

  consequently we arent presented with important information helping ordinary members making real choices about society

  results in CULTURAL HEGEMONY with basic principles of capitalism being presented as natural and normal
• marxist hegemonic perspective - media and the Establishment (JONES)

  media owners, editors and journalists as part of the Establishment = alliance of powerful groups bound together by common economic interests

  jones argues it should be job of media to criticise activities of establishment but british media is integral part of the establishment as owners share the same mantras

  consequently, journalists turn blind eye and instead attack and vilify vulnerable groups
• evaluation of marxist hegemonic perspective

  vague about what constitutes ideology and the effects of this

  GUMG exclusively focuses on media professionals implies owners have little / no input which is probably unrealistic

  neglects idea agenda setting is patriarchal exercise serving to limit womens roles in media production and content