Sociology AQA A-level The Media

Media Concentration

The gathering of ownership of newspapers and other media in the hands of a few large corporations.

Global Conglomerates

Key companies or individuals who own large amounts of the media

Horizontal Integration

Buying multiple different businesses that are all similar - e.g Facebook buying Instagram

Vertical Integration

Buying all steps of the process - E.g Newscorp also buying the printing companies

Rupert Murdoch

The owner of global company NewsCorp

Lords of the Global Village

Diversification

Synergy

Technological Convergence

All technological functions are applied to one device. For example smartphones now act as: cameras, music players, can access the internet

Laws of Libel

Not being able to make false statements that may be detremental to an individuals reputation.

The Official Secrets Act

Government secrets can not be shared without consent- case study: Julian Assage, Wikileaks

The Racial and Religious Hatred Act /Equality Act

An act preventing people from discriminating against others due race and religion

The Obscene Publications Act

Not allowed to publish vulgar or inappropriate content.

Contempt of Court Provision

An ongoing court case can not be commented on or spread into the media.

Defence Advisory Notice

Wikileaks Scandal

Julian Assage, spilled secret government information on his popular website.

Video Recording Act

All videos and Films are given a classification such as U, PG, 12A ,18

British Board of Film Classification

This helps decide on the rating given to films and music videos. e.g u,pg, 12a, 18

OfCom

Office of Communications

The BBC

British Broadcasting Corporation

Independent Broadcasting

Independent Press Standards Organisation

Manipulative Approach

Another name for the Marxist approach.

Media Ownership

All owned by the upper classes, most of the media is owned by white males.

Agent of Ideological Control

What Marxist sociologists call:

Religion,

Family,

Peers

Workplace

Education

Media

Propoganda

Trying to "brainwash" populations to think a certain way - e.g Hitler's propoganda films.

Pro Capitalist Agenda

Censorship

Only showing certain topics or perspectives in the media- e.g Fox News cuts people off.

Myth of Meritocracy

The Marxist idea that society is not meritocratic. The upper classes will always achieve more than working class regardless of ability

Commodity

Something you buy

Commodity Fetishism

The idea that people love to buy things.

Meritocratic Society

A society in which everyone had the potential to achieve equally if they try.

Homogenous Audiences

All audiences are the same with the same interests and opinions.

Heterogenous Audiences

Audiences are different and do not have the same opinions or interests.

Active Audiences

Audiences can consciously choose what media they are influenced by.

Passive Audience

Audiences are injected with ideas from the media and can not change this.

Diverse Audiences

There are a wide range of audiences.

Democratic Society

A society in which everyone had a right to vote.

Subjective

One sided, bias

Objective

Looking at something from all angles, unbiased.

Agenda Setting

Hegemony

Domination over others

Purchasing Power

Power that the audiences possess. The audience control the success and production of the media through selective consumption.

Freedom of Choice

Pick and Mix Approach

Citezen Journalism

Media information created by audiences- E.g tweets, Facebook statuses, Instagram photos.

Patriarchal Ideology

The idea that the media/society is male dominated.

Glass Ceiling

Women (for example) can see the top job roles but can not achieve them due to invisible barriers.

Media Saturated Society

A society which is heavily orientated around media products. 21st century society.

Hyper-reality

Something that is more real than reality- for example mass news coverage of an event seems more real than the perception of those who were there.

Digital Underclass

Heightened Accountability

Cultural Chaos

Churnalism

Cultural Optimism

Cultural Pessimsim

Neophiliac

Sovreigns of Cyberspace

Power Without Responsibility

Commercialisation

Reference to Elite Nations

If rich countries such as China, UK, USA etc are mentioned, there will be more audience interaction.

Simulacra

False Class Consciousness

The state in which people do not recognise the inequality or exploitation.

Reference to Elite People

Stories are more newsworthy if they mention celebrities.

Self Censorship

Choosing not to express opinions or other information that goes against the social consensus.

Cross-Ownership

Hyperdermic Needle Model

An audience model created by the Frankfurt School which suggests that audiences are passive and are injected with ideas.

Info-tainment

TV/Radio shows which combine news and entertainment- e.g This Morning, Good Morning Britain.

Moral Panic

The result of the media over-exaggerating and over-reporting a threat in society.

Tabloidisation

The process in which the news becomes more gossip orientated

Organisational Constraints

Media Effects Debate

The argument which questions whether or not violent media can cause violence in individuals

Imitative Effect

Children and impressionable teenagers/adults cop

Global Village

Disinhibition Effect

The removal of normal restraints or inhibitions that serve to keep impulsive behavior in check

Globalisation

The increasing interconnectivity and global links between countries.

Drip Drip Effect

Cultural Ideology

Catharsis

Violent video games act as an outlet to safely displace anger and violent tendencies.

Consumerism

Cultural or Media Imperialism

Sensitisation

People become more affected by a topic -e.g gun violence

Cultural Homogenisation

Cultures all become the same and are americanised.

Desensitisation

People are becoming less affected by topics- e.g gang culture in deprived areas.

Global Risk Society

Media Literacy

People are aware that not everything on the media is new.

Scapegoating

Blaming an innocent person or a group for an unrelated issue

Hybridisation

Selective Exposure

People are able to choose what media they view.

Glocalisation

A combination of global and local cultures to create new forms.

Representation

re- presentation.

Operationalise

Ensuring that variables are in a form that can be easily tested.

Opinion Leader

The person an individual goes to form their own opinion on a topic according to the 2 step flow model.

Mediation

Stereotype

A representation of a group in society based on one or two traits.

Two Step Flow Model

Audience model developed by Katz and Lazersfeld.

Opinion leaders form views and then pass on those opinions to peers.

Symbolic Annihilation

Females and disabled people are underrepresented in the media.

Uses and Gratifications

Audience Model- each individual uses the media for different purposes.

Male Gaze

The media operates through a male perspective.

Selective Retention

Audiences can choose which information they retain. Generally people agree the information that they agree with.