Power and Media Industries - James Curran and Jean Seaton

Power and Media Industries - James Curran and Jean Seaton

• 'Diversity is in the public interest - but modern societies suffer from collective attention deficit disorders[...] the public interest has to work harder to be noticed, and we need agile but resourceful media to do that.' - James Curran and Jean Seaton

• In this day in age, we get distracted by our phones, and constantly check them throughout the day, it is digital technology, they in which have connection to the wifi therefore resourceful, attracting the audience.

• Monopoly - The exclusive ownership or control of something.

Who owns UK newspapers?

• Conglomerate - a large corporation consisting of multiple smaller companies.
• Subsidiaries - a smaller company owned by a large corporation.

Curran and Seaton on Monopoly

• Advantages to forming a Monopoly
• reduces competition
• audience manipulation
• 'It [extends] their range of business and political connections, [increases] their corporation's prestige and, through audacious editoral appointments, [contributes] to the maintenance of public opinion favourable to private enterprise.' - James Curran and Jean Seaton 
• It is essential to remember that conglomerate are primarily driven by the logic of profit and power.

• Issues with conglomeration
• Not much diversity
• Make their products look great
• e.g News Corp own 20th Century Fox and The Sun so when 20th Century Fox release a new movie they'll use the Sun to give it good 'fake' reviews.

• Key Facts with conglomerates and monopoly
• Having a monopoly means domination of multiple media industries
• If the focus on creating profit, generally conglomerates dont take risks with the media products that they produce.
• This often results in limited variety, creativity and quality.

• 'Anti-monopoly media regulation is needed not only to maintain fair competition but also to prevent the distortion of democracy.' - James Curran and Jean Seaton 

 What are the alternatives to conglomerate ownership?

• Partnership opposed to ownership
• Limit on how many companies you can own
• Boycott
• Make our own media

• 'Media policy should seek[...] to create the conditions of greatest possible competition, thus enabling consumers to exercise sovereign control. This produces media that people want, a wide range of choice, and media independence from government.' - James Curran and Jean Seaton

• Independent Producer
• free from outside control

• Institution
• A media industry with its own identity. 

• Industry
• The whole media industry