Title: Public%20Sphere%20Model%20vs.%20Market%20Model
1Public Sphere Model vs. Market Model
- Devereux, Chapters. 15 and 2
2McChesney, The Problem of the Media
- The crucial tension lies between the role of the
media as profit-maximizing commercial
organizations and the need for the media to
provide the basis of informed self-government.
3Croteau Hoynes
- Public Sphere
- mass media can contribute to democratic
processes. . . by helping to cultivate social
spaces for public dialogue (Habermas) - News provides the conversation of democracy
- Public trust Journalists have the responsibility
to serve the general welfare - By informing, educating, integrating across
social and geographical borders - By enabling citizens to make judgments about the
issues of the times
4Market Model
- Media are like all other goods and services
- Businesses, pursuing profits, will meet consumers
needs - Mark Fowler TV is a toaster with pictures on
it - Media should not be regulated
- Consumers in the marketplace, not government
regulators, will force media companies to act in
the public interest
5Critical Issues Posed by the Market Model
6I. Reduction of viewpoints in the marketplace of
ideas
- The fear is that the small number of persons who
control the small number of media corporations
will be inclined to use them - For economic purposes
- For political/ideological purposes
- Replacing the public trust with bottom-line
financial interests and conflicts of interest
7Diverse Viewpoints The Supreme Court Speaks
- Public discussion is a political duty (Whitney
v. Callifornia--1927) - The widest possible dissemination of information
from diverse and antagonistic sources is
essential to the welfare of the public.
(Associated Press v. United States-1945)
8- Speech concerning public affairs is more than
self-expression it is the essence of
self-government. . . The right of the public to
receive suitable access to social, political,
aesthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences
which is crucial here. The public interest in
broadcasting clearly encompasses the presentation
of vigorous debate of controversial issues of
importance and concern to the public. (Red Lion
Broadcasting v. FCC--1969)
9- On the theory that diversification of mass media
ownership serves the public interest by promoting
diversity of program and service viewpoints, as
well as by preventing undue concentration of
economic power, media ownership can be limited.
(FCC v. National Citizens Communication--1978)
10The Leak Out View of the Market Model
- Diverse voices will leak out
- There is no scarcity of viewpoints in the 21st
century - With cable, internet, satellite, any viewpoint
can be out there
11II. The Market Model Undermines the Quality of
News
12The Hollywoodization of News
- In order to maximize profit, news budgets are cut
- Positions are lost
- With decreased resources to seek out the news,
news is replaced by soft/entertainment stories - There is a continual press to increase profit,
which is already high (35 for media 8-11 for
all other industry) - Profits are not invested in the news operation,
but go into corporate earnings - There is a lack of commitment to the public trust
13News Anchors as Stars
- NBC
- Brian Williams
- CBS
- Katie CouricgtgtgtScott Pelley
- ABC
- Bob WoodruffgtgtgtCharlie GibsongtgtgtDiane Sawyer
- CNN
- Anderson Cooper
14Hypercommercialism
- Product placement
- Embedded commercial messages
- Control of content/story-line by advertisers
- Internet tests are marketing strategies
- Dr. Oz and RealAge.com
- Self-censorship
- News directors
- Journalists
- E-books and libraries
15Sponsors and Ads are Everywhere
- NYC taxi cabs
- Ads projected on buildings
- MacDonalds in Orlando
- Interactive floor display with bouncing burgers
- Adidas interactive ad--Herald Square subway
- Flying sneakers
- NASCAR
- Jockey and horses
- Corporate sponsorship for national monuments
- Colesseum
- Bronx Zoo
16Ads Are Everywhere
17From Times Square to the Internet
- Tourists (15,000/hour) with cell phone cameras
take photos and put them on YouTube, Myspace and
Flickr - Charmin
- Nascar
- Target
- Smirnoff
- General Electric
- Mastercard
- Disney
18(No Transcript)
19Mega-media
- High barriers to entry
- Horizontal and vertical integration
- 4 entities control 90 of music
- 6 entities control 90 of films
- 3 entities control 70 of textbooks
- 6 entities control 80 of cable
- Creativity vs. commerce
- Consumers have no avenue to express discontent
other than not consuming - Secondary effects materialism, normalization of
sex and violence, etc.
20Axis of TV Access
- The 7 Giants
- AOL/Time Warner Viacom Disney, NewsCorp
Vivendi Universal GE/NBC Liberty Mutual - 1992 70 of network programming independently
produced - 2000 20 independently produced
- The 7 account for 75 of the income of members
of the WGA
21Music Payola is Back
- Payola (playing songs on the air for money
without disclosure) is illegal - In NY, Entercom Communications (5th largest radio
chain) is being sued for 20 mil for demanding
money from record companies - Sony-BMG Music/Entertainment and Warner Music
settled payola suits (Sony for a reported 10
million)
22Examples
- WSKE (Buffalo) directors email to an executive
at Columbia Records Do you need help on Jessica
Simpson this week? 1250? If you dont need
help, I certainly dont need to play it. - WBEE (Rochester) Universal Music Group donated
5,000 worth of computers to add 2 artists to the
play list - Total Access Record companies are allowed to
pitch songs to programmers in return for buying
20 ad spots.
23Broadcast Companies Consent Decree
- Four of the largest companies have agreed to pay
fines (12.5 mil) and have pledged to play more
music from independent artists - Clear Channel
- CBS Radio
- Entercom Communications
- Citadel Broadcasting Loopholes
- In the last 2 weeks (Oct. 25, 2006) songs from
two record labels . . . Got a lift on the charts
after a radio chain was paid to play the tunes as
part of commercials late at night in an
advertising program . . . .
24Censorship
- Dixie Chicks (Clear Channel)
- Fahrenheit 9/11 (Disney)
- Reagan Mini-series (CBS)
- The Kennedys (CBS) cancelled Apr. 2011
- Big media wants to cozy up to big government
25Cracks in the WallNews and Advertising
- Expanding choices for news
- Newspapers
- Broadcast
- Cable
- Internet
- Dual problem
- How to maximize profits
- How to connect
26LA Times Front Page Ad
27(No Transcript)
28Cracks in the Wall News and Public Relations
- PR has a PR problem
- Historically there have been problems
- Ivy Lee
- Edward Bernays
- Hill and Knowlton
- Recent examples
- Armstrong Williams and No Child Left Behind
- OmnicomGroup and fake news videos for the White
House Prescription Drug Plan - Bush Pentagon hires generals to appear as
objective analysts while hired to spread talking
points
29III. Growing Cultural Imperialism
- Western ideas, values and interests seek to
colonize the minds of citizens around the world - Undermining traditional cultures
- Introducing values that conflict with traditional
culture