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Pluralism v Marxism v Neo Marxism

Pluralism v Marxism v Neo Marxism. Views on media ownership and how they differ. Pluralist key points:. Pluralists feel that concentrated ownership of the media is not a significant problem. Pluralists believe that in Western societies everyone’s voice can be heard.

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Pluralism v Marxism v Neo Marxism

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  1. Pluralism v Marxism v Neo Marxism Views on media ownership and how they differ.

  2. Pluralist key points: • Pluralists feel that concentrated ownership of the media is not a significant problem. • Pluralists believe that in Western societies everyone’s voice can be heard.

  3. Arguments for pluralist view: • There are many media sources to choose from, therefore everyone is represented. • Media owners are too busy to use the media to push their own views – they can’t read every story. • The BBC can balance any possible bias from privately owned media. • The law and independent regulators like ofcom can protect people from the influence of media owners. • People have a choice whether they read/watch a certain media source.

  4. Arguments against the pluralist view: • Media owners can hire and fire people on their teams so that their employees all have the same viewpoint and can promote it. • Media owners care more about money than the interests of their audience, so adverts for junk food will be put during childrens’ programmes, for example. • Critics point to Rupert Murdoch’s campaign for war in Iraq as evidence that media owners do put their own views forward.

  5. Marxist key points • Marxists disagree with Pluralists. They believe that the capitalist ruling classes control the media and use it to put their own views forward. • They think that ownership of the media doesn’t really matter. This is because no matter who owns the media it will always put forward the views of the ruling class.

  6. Marxist arguments: • Miliband (1973) argues that the views presented by the media are limited and represent the views of the ruling class. • He argues that the media creates a sense of wellbeing that keeps the working class quiet and encourages them to accept the capitalism. • Marcuse (1964) argues that entertainment like soaps (eg. Eastenders, Coronation St) make us believe that the injustices of society (poverty, exploitation) are actually normal.

  7. Neo-Marxist key points • Neo Marxists disagree with Marxists: They argue that although the ruling class’s beliefs are mostly dominant there will always be ideas that challenge them – as a result their beliefs will never entirely take over.

  8. Key Arguments • Stuart Hall (1995) argues that anti-capitalist views cannot always be prevented and there will always be competing beliefs.

  9. Evaluation Pluralists would reply that Marxist and Neo Marxist views have little basis in reality – there is no conspiracy to dominate society with capitalism – everyone is represented, and if people don’t like what they hear in the media they can simply switch off.

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