Week Three: Dominant Media and Oliogopoly

Steven (2003) has a problem with how the term 'mass media' is used, and how it fails to define the media's ability to control and shape society's direction. Steven goes on to explain that 'dominant media' is a better term and describes how the United States model is commercialised. Many other countries have adapted this model as it appears to work effectively.

Steven also refers to the word 'dominant' to mean a 'global arena' of media on the globe (p.40). It's hard not to think about The Hunger Games at this point (and I know there'll be some scoffing at this) but all these individuals fighting for the most ownership and control over more media outlets (Rupert Murdoch comes to mind as well). The amount of differing owners of these outlets shrink as fewer companies can control more outlets and therefore wield more control in shaping the direction of society. Steven refers to this (groups of corporations as opposed to one individual) as oliogopoly.

Picture 1.1: Fighting - for survival or power?

Picture 1.2: Careers or corporate giants?

Considering it is well known that author of The Hunger Games series Suzanne Collins was inspired by reality television and the current war climate, the loom of terrorism currently hanging above our heads. There can be no doubt that the fictional, dystopian world of Panem with its bread and circuses (panem et circenses) can be interpreted as a fear of our current path. I say this with full awareness that every text is subjective.


Even the phrase panem et circenses, or bread and circuses, can be interpreted as our current awareness of the poverty. Do we need games and technology to distract us from our conscience? Alice Schroder discusses the history of the phrase in this article and its use in Roman history.


Is this what we are heading for?

Sources:

Steven, P 2003, The no-nonsense guide to the global media, New Internationalist, Oxford, pp. 37–59.

Picture 1.1: http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Hunger-Games-Katniss-and-Peeta-Training-Outfits.jpg last accessed 22/7/12

Picture 1.2: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-1Eu3TudXg7R5xc6kU-ksR1mB63gJ-2nVw1VVwmhdZOyWzGwDj8Uq6YfVtFA8a2Mfvg29a5X9_Che9AmVGlLhhZEgL2mCfFIfZrs5Ev_B1Jdu23D8PJWlA1DFoc75FotxTvlD_LMrNtN/s1600/Hunger-Games-pic-3.jpg last accessed 22/7/12
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-02/the-danger-of-living-on-bread-and-circuses-alice-schroeder.html last accessed 26/7/12