Ideology: blog tasks

Part 1: Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine issue 52 has two good articles on Ideology. You need to read those articles (our Media Magazine archive is here) and complete a few short tasks linked to them. 

Page 34: The World Of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia And Propaganda

1) Read the article and summarise it in one sentence.

The Hunger Games represent a capitalistic society, revealing the divide and inequality of the rich and the poor.

2) What view of capitalist ideology is presented in the Hunger Games films?

The people in the districts work, which only benefits the capital. Essentially, all their efforts go towards the capital which reap the rewards from the other peoples labour keeping them poor and controlling them.

3) What do the Hunger Games films suggest about the power of the media to shape and influence ideological beliefs?

It suggests that the media is harmful and influences people because it is used as propaganda which keeps people in their place.

4) What is YOUR opinion on this topic? Do you think the media shapes our values and beliefs?

Yes it can influence people because if they're constantly fed with information that is going to be something that they believe, especially in a society like the Hunger Games where they know nothing else. However, in the UK where we have unlimited access to the internet we can make judgements ourselves rather than having them forced upon us. 

Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

1) What are the four accepted ideological beliefs in western societies highlighted by the article?

• People should put their families first.

• People should work hard for their money.

• Women should behave in feminine ways, and look after their appearance.

2) What does Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggest about power and ideology in society?

It suggests that specific groups in power control us, to keep people in place, restricting them and forcing them to become a certain way to maintain peace.

3) What does French theorist Louis Althusser suggest about ideology and consumerism?

Ideology is our greatest material power and controls us in 2 ways:

Repressive State Control - the major institutions of society. These state agencies regulate social

behaviour and repress the masses through violence, punitive law, and fear.

Ideological State Apparatuses - such as the Church, the media,

educational institutions. These looser institutions control and dominate implicitly through ‘common sense’ acceptance and social norms, rather than through fear. 

4) Do YOU agree with the idea behind They Live - that we are unthinkingly controlled by the media which is run in the interests of the economic elite? These are the big questions of A Level Media!

I think people are indirectly controlled by the media subconsciously, through messages which they absorb without knowing, which are definitely pushed in favour of the economic elite because they have the power to sway the media. 

Part 2: The role of the media in democracy

Read this Constitution Unit blog on the importance of media in democracy. This brings together our work on ownership, public service broadcasting, regulation and ideology. Answer the following questions:

1) Why is the media important in a democracy? 

It is a space where people are able to share opinions and exercise their right to freedom of speech, and perhaps even issues with people in power which other countries don't have the privilege to voice. It means that we are not completely controlled by a higher power, which would defeat the purpose of a democracy.

2) What are the hallmarks of a free and healthy media landscape?

• media independence
• media pluralism
• impartial media outlets
• high standards from journalists
• regulation

3) What risks are identified that threaten a healthy media environment? 

• threats to broadcaster impartiality
• threats to media independence
• polarising content
• weakened local and investigatory reporting
• disinformation and misinformation
• monopolies

4) What is YOUR opinion on how the media can be safeguarded to protect democracy? You may want to think about ownership, regulation, technology or public service broadcasting here.

To protect democracy people it needs to become a pool of beliefs/ideologies, so that people are not pressured by a dominant ideology and come to make judgements themselves. Moreover, people with different ideas, which ARE NOT harmful should be given platforms in more prominent media spaces to express them, instead of repressing them to breed a country of mindless puppets, pumped with identical beliefs suiting the status quo.