Marxism and the Media

Perspectives on media: Marxist

IGCSE Sociology

Lesson objectives

IGCSE Sociology

• Understand Marxist perspective on the nature and role of the media

• Define the following:

  • Marxist

  • Indoctrination

  • Labelling

  • Distortion

  • Democracy​

Recap: Pluralism

IGCSE Sociology

Multiple Choice

True or False:

Pluralists reject the view that the media can strongly influence their audiences.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False:

The development of the new and social media supports the pluralist approach.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False:

The two main ideas used by Pluralists are competition and propaganda.

• True

• False

What is marxism?

• A body of thought deriving its main elements from Marx's ideas

• His ideas argue that industrial societies are based on a fundamental conflict between different social classes which continues throughout history: the bourgeisie (owners of wealth and property) and the proletariat (the working class).​

​Marxism

Open Ended

How do you think ideas of Marxism relate to the media?

​Marxism claims...

• the media convey the dominant ideoloty to keep the population ignorant and in a state of false consciouness.

​False Consciousness: people's inability to recognize inequality, oppression, and exploitation.

​Owners

​Media

​People

​Own

​Control

by Ralph Miliband described the media as an agency of conservative indoctrination

Indoctrination: giving information or ideas to people in ways taht they accept uncritically.

The state and capitalist society

Capitalist class rules

The capitalists (bourgeoisie) use the media to keep them in power and prevent social change.

Capitalist: the group of people who own the means of production and employ workers.

US-IRAQ War

• the media promoted the suppporting the invation of Iraq in 2003 by repeatedly telling the people Iraq could launch an attack within 45 minutes.

The problem:

​

It was difficult for people to evaluate this claim or to find alternative view. ​

​

Consumerism

• the media make people passive consumers who are willing to work hard to buy things they have been persuaded that they need.

The problem:

​

The demand means more profits for businesses.

​

DIversion

• the media divert attention from really important issues, feed the audience with trivia and gossip and ignore or ridicule radical ideas.

The problem:

​

When the views of people becomes saturated, news are discredited and make it seem that nothing can be done anyway.

​

Alternative views???

Sometimes the media companies show alternative views to make it seem that the media are free and impartial. But these are mostly restricted to small media outlets that are labelled as extremist.

Labelling: applying a term and an associated set of assumptions to an individual or group.

Marxist make it seem that there is a conspiracy by a small group of rulers to control everyone else.

Conspiracy theory?

Criticisms

Conspiracy: a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.

NEO-Marxists

New Marxism (Hegemonic perspective)

the media convey the dominant idealogy not through conscious intent by the way in which the media industries are organised and media controllers are socialised.

​

dominant ideology: a set of beliefs involving a distortion of the truth, which seves the interests of the ruling class.

​

Distortion: the changing of accurate reporting into a biased or inaccurate report.

​The ruling class can protect its power by force using the repressive state apparatus (police, army and criminal courts) to silence those who oppose it.

Controlling the people's thoughts and beliefs are far more effective

The media conveys a world view that justifies the way things are and persuades people that alternatives are not possible.

Ideological state apparatus

Editors, producers and journalists who ahve attitudes that tlead them to report only the dominant world view or ideology.

​

Decision-makers int he media (editors and producers) supports the ideology because they are:

• white

• male

• middle-class

• middle-aged​

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Consistent worldview

How the Dominant ideology is controlled?

• Approval of business

• Inequality of wealth

• Parliamentary democracy

• the Monarchy

• disapproval of trade unions

• feminism​

• hate against protesters

• suspicion of ethnic minorities

• young people

• radicals​

​

... among many.

​- Joseph Goebbels

"A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth."

Distracting the working class from important issues by cultivating an obsession with tria and celebrities

distraction

Concealing the truth from the working class and spreading misinformation

Truth

How the ruling class maintain power

Effects

When the working class accepts this ideology, even though it is fundamentally against its interest, situation of hegemonic control extsits.

Hegemonic control: the idelogy that is transmitted seems to be simple common sense -- normal and natural.

• People tend to accept things as they are

• alternatives are made to seem too threatening or difficult​

Group Activity

Concept Map

20 MInutes

Concept Map

Make a reviewer about Marxism.

​

• Sit with your media research groups.

Write "Marxism and the Media" in the center of the paper.

​

This is your primary idea.​

Step 1

2 minutes

Identify up to six closely related concepts, topics, or ideas.

​

These are your secondary idea.​

Step 2

5 minutes

For each secondary idea, identify up to three closely related concepts, topics, or ideas.

​

These are your tertiary idea.​

Step 3

10 minutes

Connet primary-seconday-tertiary ideas using lines.

​

Look for cross-relationships between secondary or tertiary ideas. Draw a thin or dashed lines connecting related ideas.​

​

You are are also free to write words on each line how they're connected.​

Step 4

10 minutes

Review your concept map.

​

Are there any questions that have been answered by looking at your map?​

Step 5

5 minutes

Upload a copy of your concept map on MS Teams

Each concept map serves as your reviewer for the quiz/test.