Cultural Industries: blog task

1) What does the term 'Cultural Industries' actually refer to?

The term ‘cultural industry’ refers to the creation, production, and distribution of products of a cultural or artistic nature.

2) What does Hesmondhalgh identify regarding the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable?

Hesmondhalgh identifies that the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable tend to be societies that support the conditions where large companies, and their political allies, make money.

3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?

Companies outdo each other to try and satisfy audience desires for the shocking, profane or rebellious. There are also longstanding social expectations about what art and entertainment should do,
and challenging the various institutions of society is one of those expectations.

4) Look at page 2 of the fact-sheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?
  • It's very risky
  • Semi public goods - creates scarcity
  • High production costs and low reproduction costs - big hits are very profitable
  • Creativity vs commerce
5) Why are so many cultural industries a 'risky business' for the companies involved?

This is because they is no definite way to see if they will be successful.

6) What is your opinion on the creativity v commerce debate? Should the media be all about profit or are media products a form of artistic expression that play an important role in society?

I think both sides are valid because when trying to be creative you are valuing individual, unique ideas that are pure and not following trends for monetary gain. But, even when making shows/movies for monetary gain they're usually things that people will like with familiar characteristics. Either people are consuming media they like. However, it is not fair that these media companies are so powerful and prosperous. 

7) How do cultural industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits? (Clue: your work on Industries - Ownership and control will help here).

By using vertical/horizontal integration and diversifying.

8) Do you agree that the way the cultural industries operate reflects the inequalities and injustices of wider society? Should the content creators, the creative minds behind media products, be better rewarded for their work?

Yes, I can imagine the amount of people not credited for the work they've done. Creative minds should definitely be rewarded more after all they set the foundations and create the ideas, and others go on top develop it further.

9) Listen and read the transcript to the opening 9 minutes of the Freakonomics podcast - No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry. Why has the visual effects industry suffered despite the huge budgets for most Hollywood movies?

10) What is commodification? 

It is turning something into a thing that can be sold

11) Do you agree with the argument that while there are a huge number of media texts created, they fail to reflect the diversity of people or opinion in wider society?

I don't think they fail to, I just think they're not doing they're doing the best job at it. But, you can see the efforts.

12) How does Hesmondhalgh suggest the cultural industries have changed? Identify the three most significant developments and explain why you think they are the most important.
  • Digitalisation, the internet and mobile phones have multiplied the ways audience can gain access to cultural content. This has made small scale production much easier for millions of people.
  • Cultural products can now be shared across national borders. This increased the adaptation, reinvention and hybridity of genres and products. It also enables cultures to reaffirm their values, reducing the cultural influence of the USA.
  • Ownership and organisation of cultural industries is now much broader - the largest cultural companies now operate across a range of cultural industries (for example, TV, publishing and film).

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