Media Ownership - Sociologists

McCombs and Shaw

“The media may not tell us what to think, but they do tell us what to think about.” The media can influence public focus by choosing what topic to cover 

Gramsci

The ruling class uses media to gain consent and spread dominant ideas. They achieve this through presenting these ideas as common sense creating hegemony. e.g promoting consumerism 

Milliband

Argues that the media is apart of the ruling class toolkit as they deliberately use media to shape political opinions in their interesests.

Glasgow University Media Group

Studied how the media reflects the views of the dominant culture. They found that bias was built into views.

Hall

The media encodes messages using dominant ideologies, but audiences can interpret or resist them differently.

Whale 

Media owners are mostly concerned with profit, not ideology. Hence, they do not manipulate media content. 

Levene

The media today is diverse and choice-driven, especially in the digital age. Even if owners try to control content, audiences can reject or ignore it. Ownership is more diffused rather than in the hands of the few.

Baudillard

Modern media does not represent reality, it constructs an alternative reality we come to believe. Ownership becomes less relevant as everyone constructs their own version of the truth