UK News Ownership

-
NEWS OWNERSHIP:

Britain has one of the most concentrated media environments in the world; a lot of power in a very small number of owners.

Three companies (News UK (Also called News Corp), Daily Mail Group and Reach) dominate 83% of national newspaper circulation.

In other countries, it'd usually be around eight or seven companies.

When online readers are included, just five companies dominate nearly 80% of the market, these are News Corp, Daily Mail Group, Reach, Guardian, and Telegraph.

This could be a worry since we won't be reading a lot of opinions.


Curran & Seaton: Power without Responsibility
  • C&S claims that newspaper owners are all about making money rather than expressing their opinions and making creative products.
  • News is still controlled by powerful news organizations who have successfully defended their oligarchy.

OLIGARCHY:

OLIGARCHY IS WHEN A SMALL GROUP DOMINATES THE MARKET

Examples of Oligarchs in news could include Rupert Murdoch (News Corp) or Lord Rothermere (Daily Mail)

Rothermere - A Press Baron / Oligarch: A member of the aristocracy. Press Barons need to be seen in light of changes due to Leveson. (Phone hacking scandals). This includes tighter regulation of the newspaper industry: established IPSO

IPSO - Act Independently from newspapers, hold newspapers to account for their actions.

Leveson Inquiry:
  • This examines the ethics of the UK Paper
  • If they're following the right procedure
  • This was put into action right after the phone hacking scandal
  • Before the Leveson Inquiry newspapers were abusing their power, there wasn't many regulations so Newspapers did as they pleased, even behaved illegally.
  • Lord Leveson then decided to set up IPSO in 2012
  • IPSO - Independent Press Standard Organisation
  • IPSO regulates all UK media.
Media Plurality - Range of different voices and opinions.

Hesmondhalgh Theory:
  • Hesmondhalgh suggests that the media industry is just all about making money so they stick to the safe side and stay with tried and tested products
  • He suggests that newspapers are like any other media product, they don't want to take risks so they carry on following the same formula. 
  • The pattern they follow is a normal capitalist pattern of increasing concentration and integration
  • Cultural production is owned and controlled by a few conglomerates who then vertically integrate across media to reduce risk.
  • Vertical Integration means that all aspects of a media business are managed in house; so it's made, marketed and distributed in house.
The Guardian / Scott Trust:
  • This was created in 1936 with the aim of securing the editorial independence of The Guardian.
  • The Guardian opted out in creating their own independent regulated system so they're regulated by IPSO.
  • This was due to the fact that they did not want to be associated with newspapers such as The Sun, who were considered to be rogue and unscrupulous for having their own independent regulations.
Does The Scott's Trust support C&S?

Curran and Seaton suggest that newspapers don't take responsibility for what they put out there, for the world to read. Newspapers are more reliant on profit which is irresponsible because journalism should be about telling the truth.

Scott's Trust is evidence that not all newspapers are about profit, that some can be about taking responsibility. The Guardian has liberal values which are reflected in academics, charity workers and filmmakers. The Guardian refuses theory and regulates their own journalism in order to be more responsible. They reject what they consider to be unethical and irresponsible however they do lose a lot of profit/interest while doing so.

Funding Newspapers:
  • Traditionally newspapers have made profit from cover price and advertising combined. 
  • But this has changed, in the digital age.
  • Freemium newspapers such as The Metro In London have affected circulation figures.
  • Paywalls; for example The Times. This might be a model adopted by other newspapers in the future.
  • Sponsored content; in particular The Mail Online
  • Synergy and linked products; The Guardian Holidays
The Guardian makes more money online, The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday do still make profit but this is failing year by year


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Radio Writing Task Homework

-
How does the Radio One Breakfast Show  reach it's audience? The Radio One Breakfast Show is a radio show which airs from 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM during the week, not airing on the weekends. The show's target audience are 15-29-year-olds. But the show's presenter is actually 32. I feel as if the fact that the presenter is older than the target audience is only to prevent the show from doing immature things etc. By having an older host they'll know what to do and what not to do. Something that I realized is that the Radio One Breakfast show are aware that they do have an older audience listening so to keep the older audience they play older songs at times the younger audience might not be listening for example at 11:30 am they played songs like Genie in a Bottle and Block rockin' beats. The younger audience would not be listening at that time due to the fact that they have school, so no access to radio. But earlier in the show they played popular songs such as Breath
Read more

Analysis of Fairy Liquid Advert

-
Fairy Liquid Advert: The main aim of advertising is to establish a need. The Fairy Liquid advert is establishing the need of being clean. DENOTATIONS: Starts off with medium shot of father cleaning. Cuts to medium shot of child with Fairy liquid in the background. Emotional appeal; little kid who's doing cute things (e.g. wanting to make a rocket). Two shot of father and son, fairy liquid is still visible. Over the shoulder shot of boy counting down the days (a month has passed) The persuasive method of punishment is also used when the spokesperson refers to Fairy Liquid to be better and more lasting than the next best selling brand of washing up liquid The persuasive method of getting a reward is also used.  Diversity: there's a man doing the cleaning up. Sound: the chosen song is very friendly, giving off happy vibes. 360 pan of the fairy bottle (repetition) Evidence is used when the father swipes the plate with fairy and a scrub and all the dirt is gone
Read more

Task 3 Essay - Representations: gender and sexuality

-
Image
In this essay, I will be comparing how media language is used in the construction of gender in two print advertisements for fragrances. In the Aramis advert, we have an eye-level mid-shot of a well-groomed man standing with his hands against the window. The purpose of the eye-level mid shot is to target male customers; the model's gaze is quite taunting which also goes along with the text used ''All a Man is'' which is in quite an authoritative tone. Reinforcing the gender stereotype of men having to be this strong stereotypical sophisticated man. The background is blurred to keep the main focus on the perfume and the model. In the Juicy Couture advert, we see a mid-shot of the model the purpose of the mid-shot is to show off the whole model, this time the model is wearing more revealing clothes, h er dark attire and unkempt hair add to the rebel aspect part of the advert. To add to the mise en scene the model is crushing roses in her hand in a domineering
Read more