Media & Power MC01030[2]

LECTURE 1

mick.donohoe36@mail.dcu.ie
Intro & Overviews .......

“Media” & “Power”

~ a brief intro to the variety of views/takes

There are probably as many answers as there are questions

about the relations between our two key terms here
“Media and Power”

There are multiple Faces/Facets of the relations between “Media and Power”

A Big “Menu” of possible TOPICS , but we must be ‘selective’

[just like “Mr Gates”, as we will see later ]

And , so we must be highly selective and organised about how we approach this research agenda ……
.1) Scope & Aims of this Module : MC01030[2]
-‘Media & Power

.1.1) SCOPE & AIMS -SUMMARY:

In terms of scope and brief, this module aims to cover, explore, deliver:
.1) Intro. to key concepts and theories on the relations between the media the major forms and sources of power in
contemporary [late-modern, knowledge-based, smart, digital etc] societies

Major concepts and theories concerning the relations between the media of public communication and the crucial forms of power in contemporary
societies (e.g. manifest and latent power; coercion versus consent; political, symbolic and economic forms of power; power as dispersed or concentrated).

Here, and throughout the module, there is a strong emphasis on news, current affairs and related ‘informational’ media genres.

.2) Selective review of competing theories/perspectives on major institutions and sources of social, political economic,
cultural or ideological power :

.a) Identify major institutions and sources of social, political economic, cultural or ideological power;

.b) How major forms or layers of institutionalised power may influence the operations and content of public communication media (e.g. role of political-
economic, organisational, professional/journalistic, ideological and symbolic forms of power);

.c) Role and influence of different ‘media systems’; ownership and management forms; funding and financial influences (advertising, sponsorship,
subsidies); state policies and regulation; industry self-regulation.
.1 ) Introduction : ‘Media and Power’

.1.2) ‘Power’ & ‘Media’ –a potent combin. of terms but oft-neglected in media stud

Taken together, ‘Power’ & ‘Media comprise a very rich and potent combination of concepts and terms

Communication is central to all forms of human activities/affairs and all social relationships.

And ‘power’ is an important dimension of most or nearly all social, economic and cultural
relations, whether between groups or individuals.

Certainly not confined to the arena of formal or ‘official’ political institutions.

Sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers and [some] political theorists have offered us very many
nuanced and sophisticated categories [concepts, theories, and ideas ] for thinking about the forms,
operations and pervasiveness of ‘power’ in social relationships of all kinds.

Issues of ‘Power’ & ‘Media’ relevant to many sub-domains of Communications Studies Field

“Political economy” of communication [or media ] sub-field

“Political communication” sub-field.
International communication
Audience & consumption/reception & ‘user’ aspects of mediated communication
‘Content ‘ focused sub-fields : textual and discourse analysis
Many Faces/Facets : ‘Media’ and ‘Power’ ~ 0-4
2) De-coding Key Words : ‘Power’, ‘Media’ & ‘Communication’

.2.1) ‘Power’

.2.1-A) .Major sources & forms (institutional, etc) of Power : Competing Theories & Concepts
The major sources and forms (institutional, etc) of social, political economic, cultural or ideological power in
contemporary societies [and their potential to influence media] ;

KEY FORMS - Typology -1:

‘Politics’ and power

Economic or Political-Economic power,
Cultural , or Ideological [ e.g. related to Ideas and Knowledge] or Symbolic power

KEY FORMS – Typology-2 :

Manifest and latent power;

Coercion versus consent – RSA v ISA
Power as diffused or intensive.
 The Mediated Construction of
Reality
Deep Mediatisation
Mediatisation

Intensified Mediatedness
Media
Logic

Mediation

Social World
Media / Medium
 HG WELLS: WAR OF THE WORL

Significance of media
(innovation)? Signifer & signifiied
The medium is the message
Where broadsheet newspaper provided elaborate policy
explanations
TikTok content provide AV performance (in place of elaborate polic
explanations )
Winston Churchill (WWII)
Radio transmissions voice of the patriarch
De Valerea: "comely maidens“ (1943)
Nixon/Kennedy (1960)
Don’t sweat you’re on TV: (visual) presentation b
key
Donald Trump (2010s +)
fragmented / reactive political analysis; presentation & sens
coexist
 coercion

domination POWER resistance

consent
Key Forms of Power & Knowledge/Info Functions in Modern
Societies
Form of Power Key/Primary Key Paradigmatic Increasingly important
Resources Institutions Knowledge/Info Resources &
Institutions in C20
Economic Material & Financial; Economic Institutions:- Intellectual prop.rights;
Power Property (ownership/ • Commercial firms (SMEs; Specialised instrumental Info.:
rights); corporations, partnerships) e.g.:- -Technical R&D labs;
• Trade/Industry Associations -Producer info services
• Trade unions, professional -Advertising,PR and
associations etc?) marketing information.
Commodification of cultural/
symbolic info.
Political Power A) Authority & Law; State and political Specialised administrative,
B) State Administrative institutions; regulatory , etc information;
Apparatus; Police, military, penal Military & industrial
C) Monopoly of legitimate etc institutions; R&D, scientific info;
means of (Social movements?) Social & economic info;
violence/coercion
Symbolic Means of producing and/or Cultural institutions:- Expanded mass media &
Power framing information or Religious/spiritual; privatised consumption;
knowledge (ideas, beliefs, Educational; Cultural/Symbolic aspect
values etc) Media & cultural inds; of Commodity flows;
& its public Sporting & related orgs; State and commercial
communication; Social/pol movements cultural, tourist and
(decline of Family ??) ‘heritage’ industries;

Notes: These distinctions are primarily analytical in nature, reflecting the different kinds of roles or activities with which individuals or social groups engage, and the kinds of resources they may typically
mobilise in exercising power. It should be noted that in practice, these different types of power overlap in complex ways.

Sources: Preston, 2001; Author’s model, inspired by schema originally advanced by Mann and others and as further refined
in JB Thompson (1995) Media and Modernity; A Social Theory of the Media. [Polity Press, , pp.17]
.2) Work Plan & Workload Schema: MC01030[2]
-‘Media & Power’

.2.1) The Modus Operandi : What We Do & HOW we Do it re MC01030[2]

~ Lecture sessions : role and purpose

~ Seminar sessions : role and purpose
~ Your Participation and attendance at sessions : role and purpose
~ Your independent work and responsibilities

.2.2) Each and Every Week of the semester:

.a) Participation in all lecture and seminar sessions: High level of participation is ESSENTIAL given the distinctive topic area and unique agenda of this
module [and the lack of ready-made or appropriate textbooks] .
.b) N.B. Students are expected to attend at least 75% of scheduled classes.
.c) Students are expected to read and review [make relevant notes on] one chapter length piece each week [& encouraged to make relevant notes when
engaging with news media].
.d) Submit Reviews related to the weekly series core Reading and class session on time.
.d) Think about and make relevant notes contributing to your work for the major Assessment
piece of work.
Next week: Models of Media/Power
relations