I love this clip. I think its because i have read too much Adorno, Horkheimer and Gramsci recently and I was in need of some light relief! I was starting to believe that culture was bad and that I was falling prey to an elitist ideology that only served to keep me oppressed, but hang on.. old BBC comedy shows are supposed to be part of this problem surely? Damn it!
It does relate to this project though as arguably the satirical content here is of the partisan ownership in the British press, something that is still as bad if not worse today, they also identify the differences in target audiences and readership something that perhaps Marxist theories underplay. In moving on in the theoretical discussion its important to place the role of the consumer and the elements of choice within the press on centre stage, something that this clip does brilliantly.
As we move on with this debate and look at the pluralistic views of how changes to the ownership of the press could empower the audience and possibly change the industry its important to also think about the evolution of journalism and possibly the media in general. Certainly Marx, Adorno, Gramsci and the rest could hardly have expected the internet and all its opportunity for change. Here is an excellent video from 2007 that makes huge predictions about the future of media technology in relation to ownership:
I also present the overview found on this webiste:
http://www.earlhamsociologypages.co.uk/massmplumarx.htm
The main aspects of the Pluralist theory of the Mass Media are as follows:
1. Societies such as the UK
2. Political power in these societies is divided among a wide variety of political parties and pressure groups.
3. The citizens can exercise power in their own right in various ways.
4. There are disputes from time to time but they can be resolved via existing political institutions. There is certainly no need for radical political change to resolve our problems.
5. The State is neutral. It does not systematically favour some groups at the expense of others but aims to take all decisions in the national interest.
6. Within this overall framework, the Mass Media make important contributions to the maintenance of democracy.
7. The Press is privately owned and relatively free of State control so that there is far more freedom of the Press to criticise government than was the case in former Communist societies, for example.
8. The Broadcast Media also have considerable independence. Censorship is occasionally necessary but is kept within limits.
9. Government is subjected to regular criticism from investigative reporters and combative TV. and radio interviewers who do their best to keep the public informed.
10. It is admitted that the Press, overall, is pro- Conservative but the Tory Press is sometimes very critical of Tory governments and there are also well established Labour and Liberal papers.
11. The national Press do reflect a rather moderate spectrum of political opinion but they are merely reflecting public opinion, not creating it.
12. There are, in any case, more radical newspapers to appeal to the more radical minority.
13. Individuals can make their own views known via letter writing, phone ins and open door programmes. In principle, they can set up their own newspapers although this is obviously expensive.
14. With regard to Press bias, it is claimed that readers recognise this and discount it. They rely for their political news more on TV. and radio which are largely bound to be politically unbiased.
15. Pluralists do criticise the Mass Media but not fundamentally.
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