Media Organization/s

Political and economic factors•What makes the media?– Cruise threatening to pull MI3 ads for

South Park critique

Media Organizations

Media Organization/s

Different perspectives on media organisation/s•Liberal pluralist•Political economic

Media Perspectives

Liberal Pluralist perspective•News workers “gather” the news•It is something that is seen as pre-existent

Media Perspectives

Liberal Pluralist perspective•Free market… free news media

Media Perspectives

Liberal Pluralist perspective“All the News That’s

Fit to Print”

Media Perspectives

Political Economic perspective•The media are linked to economics in society

Media Perspectives

Political Economic perspective•The media are linked to economics in society

– Global economic relations

Media Perspectives

Political Economic perspective•Dominant ideas are those of ruling class (see interview part 2)

Media Perspectives

Media Perspectives

Political Economic perspective•Manipulative Model– Media barons are seen as

having direct control over content

Media Perspectives

Political Economic perspective•Structuralist Model– Capitalism itself…news is a commodity– Advertising power increases

Media Perspectives

All perspectives •Acknowledge the media’s importance in democratic and totalitarian societies

Media Organization/s

Conventions•Practices or techniques widely used in a field

Media Organization/s

Roles and socialization•Built upon history and tradition•What is expected of you…

Media Organization/s

Journalism as an honorable (and dangerous) profession

Media Organization/s

Breaking conventions! •e.g. Naked News

Media Organization/s

Breaking conventions... or creating new ones?

Media Organization/s

News routines•“[P]atterned, routinized, repeated practices and forms that media workers use to do their jobs.”– Beats– Source

relationships

Media Organization/s

Routines•Time•Budget•Visual reliance•Audience maintenance

Media Organization/s

Values•Unambiguity (clarity of event)•Meaningfulness (cultural proximity)•Consonance (predictability)

Media Organization/s

Newsworthiness•Socially constructed•Reflects only a portion of society

Media Organization/sGatekeeping•Editor selections– Tension between advocacy and

detachment

Media Organization/sWhat are the structures behind bloggers?

Media Organization/s

Objectivity•Separation of fact and value

Media Organization/s

Six key practices of objectivity

1.Maintaining political neutrality

2.Observing prevailing standards of decency and good taste

3.Using documentary reporting practices, relying on physical evidence

Media Organization/s

Six key practices of objectivity

4. Using standardized formats to package the news

5. Training reporters as generalists instead of specialists

6. Using editorial review to enforce these methods

Media Organization/s

We accept certain levels of “non-objective” opinion•And counter with our own...

Media Organization/s

What norms exist for Jon Stewart? • Constant cynicism?

(see part 3 of Frontline)

Media Organization/s

The perpetual importance of media is that they operate as a conduit for governments and elite interests

Media Organization/s

Hegemony•News content helps to recruit and maintain support for attitudes that support dominant groups•Not conscious or deliberate

Media Organization/s

Which voices are allowed in?

Media Organization/s

Alternative voices•Allows for APPARENT debate•Doesn’t shift status quo– Who’s listening?

Media Organization/s

What about minorities?•Pakeha frame?