Pluralism - ownership and control of the media

What is the general pluralist beleif on this?

Pluralists argue that modern capatalost societies are democratic.

Therefore all intrest groups- covering the whole left to right wing spectrum get a media platform to represent their views

What model do pluralists subscribe to and what does it mean?

Pluralists subscribe to a market model of media ownership and control

They argue that the free market and persuit of profit is alkways going to trump the idea that media coorpirations use platforms for the owners to impose their political views on the public

What is consumer sovriengty

The pluralist beleif that the audience hold the real power as they are free to interpret the media how they wish to

What is the media as a democratic mirror?

• Pluralists claim that the range of media products are extremely diverse

• therefore all viewpoints in society are catered for

• So, if some viewpoints have a greater range of media representing them, this isnt bias, its simply just mirroring what the audience think

What is the pluralist view on Public service broadcasting?

Pluralists point out that a significant share of the media market is taken up by public service broadcasting

These are media outlets controlled by the state - known to be impartial

What do pluralists suggest about state controls? + example

• Pluralsits note that the power of media owners is also limited by state or goverment controls.

• For example in some societies, governments do not allow owners too many medias or different types of media - in order to reduce possibility of the owners views becoming domminant in the media

• For example in the USA, the huge film studies have been prevented from owning film prodiction, film distraabution and cinemas at the same time

How would pluralists evaluate Neo marxism?

Pluralists stress the media proffesionalism of the journalists and editors

They argue that they have to much integrity for them to be regularly bias to the media owners.

Evaluatios of the pluralist theory

• Curran argues that their is plenty of evidence that media owners have undermined newspaper independance and balance in subtle ways by choosing the editoirs and jounrlaists that allign with their views

• Trowler (2004) - observed that 500 journalists shared rooms with british and american troops during the invasion of iraq —> results in one sided unbalanced reports because the journalists formed personal connections with the troops so were bias in reporting