dlsa-ms-year12-2016: Marx and media

Learning objective:

To be introduced to Marx’ theories on Media.
Explore the role of the media from a Marxist perspective.

To watch a clip (London Olympics) and analyse it with consideration given to the representation of Britain (National identity). Write 200 words on the representation of Britain as an assessment task.
Research and describe the key Media concepts of False consciousness. Cultural hegemony and false needs.

Key words: False consciousness. Cultural hegemony. Intertextuality.

The role of media-a Marxist perspective

Capitalism. A definition:
An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by a state run by the people.

Discuss this poster:

Marxism

The political and economic philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in which the concept of class struggle plays a central role in understanding society's allegedly inevitable development from bourgeois oppression under capitalism to a socialist and ultimately classless society.

While Karl Marx only knew the press before it was a mass medium, it is still possible to analyse modern media according to his ideas even though Marxism is widely thought to have failed as a guide to social change.
The media as an industry conforms to a general capitalist type through its factors of production.

These are likely to be in the monopolistic ownership of the capital owning class and be organised to serve the interest of that class. This is done through the exploitation of workers (ignoring the true value of labour) and consumers (making excess profits).

Media works ideologically by disseminating (spreading widely) the ideas and world views of the ruling class, denying access to alternative ideas that might lead to change or to a growing consciousness of the working classes with regards to its interests.

The main contribution of the media is to stimulate and then satisfy false needs. This leads to the assimilation of groups who have no real material interest in common into a 'one dimensional' society.

A Marxist theory that people are unable to see things clearly, especially exploitation, oppression, and social relations, as they really are; the inability of the human mind to develop a sophisticated awareness of how it is developed and shaped by circumstances.

Any belief or view that prevents a person from being able to understand

the true nature of a situation.

Discuss: What part does the media play in preventing consumers from understanding the true nature of current political situations?
Look at today's news events considering the attack on Syria and the global warming conference taking place in Paris.

Marxist theory of media:

Mass media is owned by the bourgeois class
Media is operated in their interest
Media promotes working class false consciousness
Media access denied to political opposition.

Cultural hegemony

In Marxist philosophy, the term Cultural hegemony describes the domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class, who manipulate the culture of that society — the beliefs, explanations, perceptions, values, and mores— so that their ruling-class worldview becomes the worldview that is imposed and accepted as the cultural norm; as the universally valid dominant ideology that justifies the social, political, and economic status quo as natural, inevitable, perpetual and beneficial for everyone, rather than as artificial social constructs that benefit only the ruling class.

Task 1:

Bearing in mind the Marxist theory of media;

Watch the video clip below and analyse with consideration given to the representation of Britain (National Identity).
List the visual codes, Audio codes and geographical markers.
How are these codes used to construct a representation of Britain and what message do you think is being conveyed by the footage of the ceremony?
What would other nationalities think about this? See the videos of news reports below.
Remember: Denotation - Connotation - Signification.
Write at least 200 words-Orange books.