Media- Postmodernism+Pluralist view

Postmodernism + Pluralist view on the media - NOTES

Pluralist

• No such thing as popular or mass culture

• Consumers have a wide diversity of cultural choices

• Compaine (2005): global competition= expanding sources of info + entertainment, NOT restricting

• Tomlinson (1999): globalization isn’t directly from the West, instead is mixing/hybridisation of cultures

• Hybrid cultures

• Glocalised tv formats (e.g: culture-specific quiz shows)

• New media technology allows consumers to create their own content+generate own popular culture → not passive consumers

• Promotion of democracy, growing cultural diversity, hybridisation, new ideas

Critical View of Media

• globalisation= good for media owners, gain profits from world-wide advertising

• Thussu (2007): globalisation of tv + competition between media conglomerates leads to news becoming more tabloidized (global infotainment)

• Promotion of a false global ‘feelgood factor’

• Based on western/US consumerist lifestyles

• Diverts attention from serious issues (wars, destruction of native cultures via media, growing cultural hegemony of the west)

• Global media= less choice

• Output controlled by ‘lords of the global village’

• Cultural sameness

• Local media…