Public%20Sphere%20Model%20vs.%20Market%20Model

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Public Sphere Model vs. Market Model

• Devereux, Chapters. 15 and 2

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McChesney, The Problem of the Media

• The crucial tension lies between the role of the
  media as profit-maximizing commercial
  organizations and the need for the media to
  provide the basis of informed self-government.

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Croteau Hoynes

• Public Sphere
• mass media can contribute to democratic
  processes. . . by helping to cultivate social
  spaces for public dialogue (Habermas)
• News provides the conversation of democracy
• Public trust Journalists have the responsibility
  to serve the general welfare
• By informing, educating, integrating across
  social and geographical borders
• By enabling citizens to make judgments about the
  issues of the times

4
Market Model

• Media are like all other goods and services
• Businesses, pursuing profits, will meet consumers
  needs
• Mark Fowler TV is a toaster with pictures on
  it
• Media should not be regulated
• Consumers in the marketplace, not government
  regulators, will force media companies to act in
  the public interest

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Critical Issues Posed by the Market Model
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I. Reduction of viewpoints in the marketplace of
ideas

• The fear is that the small number of persons who
  control the small number of media corporations
  will be inclined to use them
• For economic purposes
• For political/ideological purposes
• Replacing the public trust with bottom-line
  financial interests and conflicts of interest

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Diverse Viewpoints The Supreme Court Speaks

• Public discussion is a political duty (Whitney
  v. Callifornia--1927)
• The widest possible dissemination of information
  from diverse and antagonistic sources is
  essential to the welfare of the public.
  (Associated Press v. United States-1945)

8

• Speech concerning public affairs is more than
  self-expression it is the essence of
  self-government. . . The right of the public to
  receive suitable access to social, political,
  aesthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences
  which is crucial here. The public interest in
  broadcasting clearly encompasses the presentation
  of vigorous debate of controversial issues of
  importance and concern to the public. (Red Lion
  Broadcasting v. FCC--1969)

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• On the theory that diversification of mass media
  ownership serves the public interest by promoting
  diversity of program and service viewpoints, as
  well as by preventing undue concentration of
  economic power, media ownership can be limited.
  (FCC v. National Citizens Communication--1978)

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The Leak Out View of the Market Model

• Diverse voices will leak out
• There is no scarcity of viewpoints in the 21st
  century
• With cable, internet, satellite, any viewpoint
  can be out there

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II. The Market Model Undermines the Quality of
News
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The Hollywoodization of News

• In order to maximize profit, news budgets are cut
• Positions are lost
• With decreased resources to seek out the news,
  news is replaced by soft/entertainment stories
• There is a continual press to increase profit,
  which is already high (35 for media 8-11 for
  all other industry)
• Profits are not invested in the news operation,
  but go into corporate earnings
• There is a lack of commitment to the public trust

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News Anchors as Stars

• NBC
• Brian Williams
• CBS
• Katie CouricgtgtgtScott Pelley
• ABC
• Bob WoodruffgtgtgtCharlie GibsongtgtgtDiane Sawyer
• CNN
• Anderson Cooper

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Hypercommercialism

• Product placement
• Embedded commercial messages
• Control of content/story-line by advertisers
• Internet tests are marketing strategies
• Dr. Oz and RealAge.com
• Self-censorship
• News directors
• Journalists
• E-books and libraries

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Sponsors and Ads are Everywhere

• NYC taxi cabs
• Ads projected on buildings
• MacDonalds in Orlando
• Interactive floor display with bouncing burgers
• Adidas interactive ad--Herald Square subway
• Flying sneakers
• NASCAR
• Jockey and horses
• Corporate sponsorship for national monuments
• Colesseum
• Bronx Zoo

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Ads Are Everywhere
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From Times Square to the Internet

• Tourists (15,000/hour) with cell phone cameras
  take photos and put them on YouTube, Myspace and
  Flickr
• Charmin
• Nascar
• Target
• Smirnoff
• General Electric
• Mastercard
• Disney

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Mega-media

• High barriers to entry
• Horizontal and vertical integration
• 4 entities control 90 of music
• 6 entities control 90 of films
• 3 entities control 70 of textbooks
• 6 entities control 80 of cable
• Creativity vs. commerce
• Consumers have no avenue to express discontent
  other than not consuming
• Secondary effects materialism, normalization of
  sex and violence, etc.

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Axis of TV Access

• The 7 Giants
• AOL/Time Warner Viacom Disney, NewsCorp
  Vivendi Universal GE/NBC Liberty Mutual
• 1992 70 of network programming independently
  produced
• 2000 20 independently produced
• The 7 account for 75 of the income of members
  of the WGA

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Music Payola is Back

• Payola (playing songs on the air for money
  without disclosure) is illegal
• In NY, Entercom Communications (5th largest radio
  chain) is being sued for 20 mil for demanding
  money from record companies
• Sony-BMG Music/Entertainment and Warner Music
  settled payola suits (Sony for a reported 10
  million)

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Examples

• WSKE (Buffalo) directors email to an executive
  at Columbia Records Do you need help on Jessica
  Simpson this week? 1250? If you dont need
  help, I certainly dont need to play it.
• WBEE (Rochester) Universal Music Group donated
  5,000 worth of computers to add 2 artists to the
  play list
• Total Access Record companies are allowed to
  pitch songs to programmers in return for buying
  20 ad spots.

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Broadcast Companies Consent Decree

• Four of the largest companies have agreed to pay
  fines (12.5 mil) and have pledged to play more
  music from independent artists
• Clear Channel
• CBS Radio
• Entercom Communications
• Citadel Broadcasting Loopholes
• In the last 2 weeks (Oct. 25, 2006) songs from
  two record labels . . . Got a lift on the charts
  after a radio chain was paid to play the tunes as
  part of commercials late at night in an
  advertising program . . . .

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Censorship

• Dixie Chicks (Clear Channel)
• Fahrenheit 9/11 (Disney)
• Reagan Mini-series (CBS)
• The Kennedys (CBS) cancelled Apr. 2011
• Big media wants to cozy up to big government

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Cracks in the WallNews and Advertising

• Expanding choices for news
• Newspapers
• Broadcast
• Cable
• Internet
• Dual problem
• How to maximize profits
• How to connect

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LA Times Front Page Ad
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Cracks in the Wall News and Public Relations

• PR has a PR problem
• Historically there have been problems
• Ivy Lee
• Edward Bernays
• Hill and Knowlton
• Recent examples
• Armstrong Williams and No Child Left Behind
• OmnicomGroup and fake news videos for the White
  House Prescription Drug Plan
• Bush Pentagon hires generals to appear as
  objective analysts while hired to spread talking
  points

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III. Growing Cultural Imperialism

• Western ideas, values and interests seek to
  colonize the minds of citizens around the world
• Undermining traditional cultures
• Introducing values that conflict with traditional
  culture