Media Institutions

Media Institutions 

Defining institutions:

‘The media’ does not represent one coherent organization.

Media business covers commercial functions such as finance, distribution, exhibition and retailing, as well as production

Media institutions may not even be commercial in their foundation

the BBC is the most obvious example of this, as a non-profit making public service broadcaster with a turnover of millions.

Characteristics of institutions:

1. Degree of vertical integration
2. Investment of new technology
3. Multi-nationalism
4. Conglomeration-lateral integration
5. Diversification
6. Synergy

Technological convergence.

 A recent trend which involves putting several technologies into one media product. Companies that normally work in quite separate media technology fields are joining up or converging in order to give customers access to a greater range of media services across technologies such as interactive television, laptops, MP3 players and mobile phones.

The Marxist critique of media ownership and control.

 Marxists argue that the economic system of Britain, i.e. capitalism, is characterized by great inequalities in wealth and income which have been brought about by the exploitation of the labor power of the working classes. The capitalist class uses its cultural powerto dominate institutions like education and the mass media and transmit ruling class ideology.