MDSA01H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Marxism, Media Play, Sound Recording And Reproduction
Lecture 2
Chapter 2: Marxist Analysis
Marxist Analysis
- about ownership and control and power
- all about money: where does the money come from and where does it go?
Questions in Marxist Theory
➢ What is the economic system behind media?
o Who owns and controls the media?
➢ What role do the media play in society?
o What ideas are spread/neglected by the media?
o What kind of heroes are shown in the media?
Ruling Class = Ruling Ideas
The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas: i.e., the class which is the ruling material
force of society is at the same time its ruling intellectual force. The class which has the means of material
production at its disposal, consequently also controls the means of mental production, so that the ideas of
those who lack the means of mental production are on the whole subject to it. The ruling ideas are nothing
more than the ideal expression of the dominant material relations, the dominant material relations grasped as
ideas…
The mode of production (i.e., our economic relations) is the base or the
deteriat eleet of our thoughts
Historical materialism
- social life reflects material conditions
- material conditions determine social life
For Marxist theory, everything is shaped, ultimately, by the economic system of a society.
The ideas of the rulig lass are i eer epoh the rulig ideas…
Base
- shapes and maintains
the superstructure
Superstructure
- used to reinforce the
relations of the base
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
…The idiiduals omposing the ruling class possess among other things consciousness and therefore think.
Insofar, therefore, as they rule as a class and determine the whole extent of an epoch, it is self-evident that
they do this in their whole range and thus, among other things, rule also as thinkers, as producers of ideas,
and regulate the production and distribution of the ideas of their age. Consequently, their ideas are the ruling
ideas of their age.- The German Ideology, Marx and Engels, 1845-49
Capitalism – e pa to eist; the sste uder hih e lie
Production of Goods
Production of Ideas
Concentration and Integration of Media Ownership
Concentration
• Small group of companies own and control mass media and entertainment
o Oligopoly: The doiatio of a etire idustr just a fe poerful opaies Ott ad
Mack, 28)
• Concentration within media industries and across media industry as a whole
o Concentration within (eg. Media Production – Warners)
o Concentration across (eg. Big Six)
Integration
• Strategic interrelation of branches or subsidiary companies
o Vertical integration: One corporation owns multiple aspects of production and distribution
within a single industry
o Profit, profit, profit!
▪ Vertial itegratio allo[s] the paret orporatio to oersee all stages of its
development, everything from its production and marketing to its distribution and
exhibition. A media conglomerate that owns record copyrights, record labels, sound
recording studios, and record clubs, stores, or other distribution outlets would possess
strog ertial itegratio i the usi idustr, for istae. Ott ad Mak, 33
• Horizontal integration: A corporation dominates one stage of the production process
o One corporation owns multiple media outlets in one market
o Cross-media ownership: Horizontal integration in which a corporation owns companies across
industries, but at the same level of production, distribution, or exhibition
▪ Synergy: [T]he ioleet of ultiple susidiar opaies i the ross-development,
production, and distriutio of a edia rad for the purpose of eploitig it for all the
profit possile. Ott ad Mak, 3
• Fox News can be vertically and horizontally integrated
Concentration, Integration, Synergy:
The Walt Disney Company
Who owns the Big TV Networks?
DISNEY
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Ruling class = ruling ideas (cid:862)the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas: i. e. , the class which is the ruling material force of society is at the same time its ruling intellectual force. The ruling ideas are nothing more than the ideal expression of the dominant material relations, the dominant material relations grasped as ideas (cid:863) The mode of production (i. e. , our economic relations) is the base or the (cid:862)deter(cid:373)i(cid:374)a(cid:374)t ele(cid:373)e(cid:374)t(cid:863) of our thoughts. Used to reinforce the relations of the base. For marxist theory, everything is shaped, ultimately, by the economic system of a society. (cid:862)the ideas of the ruli(cid:374)g (cid:272)lass are i(cid:374) e(cid:448)er(cid:455) epo(cid:272)h the ruli(cid:374)g ideas . The i(cid:374)di(cid:448)iduals (cid:272)omposing the ruling class possess among other things consciousness and therefore think. Consequently, their ideas are the ruling ideas of their age. (cid:863)- the german ideology, marx and engels, 1845-49. Capitalism (cid:862)(cid:449)e pa(cid:455) to e(cid:454)ist(cid:863); the s(cid:455)ste(cid:373) u(cid:374)der (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h (cid:449)e li(cid:448)e.
