Public Sphere Model vs. Market Model

Devereux, Chapters. 15 and 2

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.”

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

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

Critical Issues Posed by the Market Model

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

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)

• “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)

• “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)

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”

II. The Market Model Undermines the Quality

of News

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

News Anchors as “Stars”

• NBC– Brian Williams

• CBS– Katie Couric>>>Scott Pelley

• ABC– Bob Woodruff>>>Charlie Gibson>>>Diane Sawyer

• CNN– Anderson Cooper

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

Sponsors and Ads are Everywhere

• NYC taxi cabs• Ads projected on buildings• MacDonald’s 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

Ads Are Everywhere

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

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.

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

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)

Examples

• WSKE (Buffalo) director’s email to an executive at Columbia Records: “Do you need help on Jessica [Simpson] this week? 1250? If you don’t need help, I certainly don’t 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.

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 . . . .”

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”

Cracks in the Wall:News and Advertising

• Expanding choices for news– Newspapers– Broadcast– Cable– Internet

• Dual problem– How to maximize profits– How to connect

LA Times Front Page Ad

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”

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