EVALUATING MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL IN DIGITAL AGE AND SIZE

Name: Oladele Oluwatoni Lois

Matric No: PGD/12/04/2155

EVALUATING MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL IN DIGITAL AGE AND SIZE

                                                          Introduction

Evaluation of media ownership and control is a very paramount and diversified task which is germane in the ever changing world of today, however with the explosion of digital communication technology in the late 20th and 21st centuries, the question of what forms of media and what should be classified as "mass media”, its ownership and control has become more prominent, The mass media has taken new dimension in its size, usage and importance which is evidenced in its role in transformations and revolutions in broadcasting. Before the proper evaluation of media ownership and control in digital age and size, it will be paramount to take a brief definition of the mass media and digital media.

The mass media are diversified media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience by mass communication. Mass media could be: Broadcast media (also known as electronic media) transmit their information electronically and comprise television, radio, film, movies, CDs, DVDs, and other devices such as cameras and video consoles as against the obsolete analog media.

Print media use a physical object as a means of sending their information, such as a newspaper, magazines, comics, books, brochures, newsletters, leaflets, and pamphlets. The organizations that control these technologies, such as television stations or publishing companies, are also known as the mass media.

Internet media is able to achieve mass media status in its own right, due to the many mass media services it provides, such as email, websites, blogging, Internet and television.

Outdoor media is a form of mass media that comprises billboards, signs, placards placed inside and outside of commercial buildings and objects like shops and buses, flying billboards (signs in tow of airplanes), blimps, and skywriting.

Public speaking and event organizing can also be considered as forms of mass media.

The 21st century digital age has resulted into many mass media outlets presence on the web, by such things as having TV ads that link to a website, or having games in their sites to entice gamers to visit their website. In this way, they can utilize the easy accessibility that the Internet has, and the outreach that Internet affords, as information can easily be broadcast to many different regions of the world simultaneously and cost-efficiently.

The Digital Media Alliance Florida defines digital media as "the creative convergence of digital arts, science, technology and business for human expression, communication, social interaction and education" However the digital media is a form of electronic media where data are stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission (e.g. hard disk drives or computer networking) of information or to the "end product", such as digital video, augmented reality, digital signage, digital audio, or digital art.

                                                Media Ownership and Control

Evaluating media ownership and control in the 21th century digital age should be analyzed in an interconnected and mutually re-enforcing way because they are both inter-related, which is one can say that the owner of the media has the power to determine what could be broadcasted and transmitted as against the professionalism and ethics of the media, of course the owner has every right to control! However, there have been theories that have analyzed media ownership and control and some of this are:

                                    The Pluralist Theory of Media Ownership and Control

Pluralists argue that media owners are generally responsible in the way that they manage information because media content is mainly shaped by consumer demand in the marketplace. They therefore only give the buying public what they want. Moreover, editors, journalists and broadcasters have a strong sense of professional ethics which act as a system of checks and controls on potential owner abuse of the media.

Pluralists suggest that the mass media are an essential part of the democratic process because the electorates today glean most of their knowledge of the political process from newspapers and television. Pluralists argue that owners, editors and journalists are trustworthy managers and protectors of this process.

Furthermore, pluralists argue that media audiences are the real power holders because they can exercise the right to buy or not to buy. If they did not like the choices that media owners are making available to them, or if they suspected that the media product was biased, such audiences would respond by not buying the product. The media, therefore, supply what the audience wants rather than what the owner decides. If some viewpoints have a greater range of media representing them, this is not necessarily biased. It merely reflects what the audience wants or views as important.

Pluralists also argue that concentration of ownership is a product of economic rationality rather than political or sinister motives. It is driven by the need to keep costs low and to maximize profits. Globalization too results from the need to find new audiences rather than from cultural imperialism.

Pluralists note that the power of media owners is also restricted by state, or government, controls, e.g. in some societies, owners are not allowed to own too much media or different types of media. Many countries also have cross ownership rules preventing people from owning more than one type of media. Furthermore, newspapers, television and radio in Britain are subject to legal controls and rules imposed on them by The Press Council and the Office for Communications.

Pluralists argue that it is practically impossible for owners to interfere with the content of newspapers and television programmes because their businesses are economically far too complex for them to regularly interfere in the day-to-day running of the content.

The Marxist Theory of Media Ownership and Control

Marxists argue that the economic system of Britain, i.e. capitalism, is characterized by great inequalities in wealth and income which have been brought about by the exploitation of the labour power of the working classes. Marxists believe that in order to legitimate and reproduce this system of inequality, the capitalist class uses its cultural power to dominate institutions like education and the mass media and transmit ruling class ideology. The function of these agencies is to socialize the working class into accepting the legitimacy of the capitalist system and capitalist ideas. Consequently, Marxists argue working class people experience false class-consciousness – they come to accept that capitalism is a just system that benefits all social groups equally. They fail to see the reality of their situation that they are being exploited by a system that only benefits a powerful minority.

With a look at the above explained theory of media ownership and control, it will be an incomplete analysis without taking a vivid look at the ideological dimension to media ownership and control which has captured the attention of scholars from different ideological dispositions, this is explained below:

                                                            The Media and Ideology

Marxists believe that media owners (who are members of the capitalist elite) use their media outlets to transmit ruling class ideology. Miliband (1973) argued that the role of the media is to shape how we think about the world we live in and suggested that audiences are rarely informed about important issues such as inequalities in wealth or why poverty persists. The capitalist system is rarely criticized or challenged. Instead, Marxists suggest that owners shape media content so that only ‘approved’ and conformist views are heard.

Tunstall and Palmer (1991) suggest that governments are no longer interested in controlling the activities of media owners because they need their support to either gain power or hang onto it. This is evidenced in today's democracy and liberal society which will provide a transparent and credible reportage in mass media.

Evidence for the Ideological Nature of Media Ownership and Control

Marxists are suggesting that media owners, wealth holders and the political elite are united in some sort of ideological conspiracy to brainwash the general population. However, it is almost impossible to scientifically gather empirical evidence that supports this hypothesis. Sociologists generally only have anecdotal evidence to confirm their suspicions that concentration of media ownership is damaging democracy.

However, Curran’s (2003) detailed systematic examination of the social history of the British press does suggest that the evidence for owner interference in and manipulation of British newspaper content is strong. Curran notes that in the period 1920–50 press barons openly boasted that they ran their newspapers for the express purpose of propaganda that reflected their political views. Curran points out that even when engaged in investigative reporting, the majority of newspapers in Britain have supported the Conservative Party.

Curran also notes that the period 1974–92 saw the emergence of Rupert Murdoch. However, Curran rejects the idea that Murdoch is part of unified capitalist elite but acknowledges that Murdoch’s newspapers are conservative in content and strongly supportive of capitalist interests. He argues Murdoch’s motives are economic rather than ideological in that Murdoch believes that right wing economic policies are the key to vast profits.

Curran’s analysis of British newspapers suggests that both pluralist and Marxist theories may be mistaken in the way they look at media ownership. He argues the pluralist view that media owners do not intervene in media content is evidentially false. Curran argues that since 2000 there has been even greater intervention by owners such as Murdoch. However, Curran disagrees with Marxists about the motive for this. He notes that the actions of media owners are not collectivized; rather they pursue their economic goals in a ruthlessly individualized way in an attempt to obtain a bigger share of the market than their capitalist competitors.

                                                            Conclusion

With a brief evaluation of media ownership and control in today’s digital age, the ownership and control of mass media is predicated on the system of government and its  ideology, that is countries that encourage a free operation of the media i.e capitalist countries have more fair and credible mass media, whose operation cut across diversities than countries whose ideology is communism, but no matter what ideology these countries practice they should have it in mind that the mass media are meant to carry out its duties with professionalism and ethics and without any fear or favour to the general public, in order to prevent a collapse in the society.

References

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Tunstall,J and Palmer, M(1991). Media Moguls.London: Routledge