Pluralists Views on Ownership and Control

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  • Created by: Elysia
  • Created on: 28-01-14 09:17
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  • Pluralism
    • Argues there is diversity and choice of media products
    • Media professionals are regarded as making professional judgements in order to produce good-quality media products
      • Media producers compete for consumers of their products
        • Media audiences come from a range of backgroundsand as a result there will be a range of media products to suit their requirements
    • Pluralists see the audience as having control because the success of the media products relies on those consuming them
      • The audience uses the media to fulfil its needs in a "free market" a situation of supply and demand
      • Whale (1980) argues that the broad shape and nature of the press is determined by no-one but its readers
    • Fouth Estate
      • Some pluralists see the media as acting as a check on the other three estates; government, parliament and the judicary
        • The media can act to expose problems within these powerful institutions, e.g. the Edward Snowden scandal of 2013
    • Where Marxists see media trends as negative, pluralists believe they can bring benefits to the consumer
      • The concentration of ownership can enhance the quality of the media products
      • Collins and Murroni (1996) content that large size tends to bring the resources required for comprehensive and high quality reporting
    • EVALUATION
      • They fail to address the narrow background of media professionals
      • They also ignore the role of owners in shaping the content of the media
      • Diversity and choice is limited by the power of advertisers - less mainstream products that serve a minority audience may have restricted production

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