Week 9
Week 9 Introduction & The Cultures of Democracy: How Ownership and Public Participation Shape Canada’s Media Systems (Shade) 1. Why do the authors suggest that ‘who owns the media raises the rather daunting question of who owns Canada’s democracy’? (p. 201) How does ownership affect democracy?
Media are source of entertainment, information, news, ideology, history, ideas, and information about products and services Media are used to achieve political power Media are center of Canadian cultural, economic, social and political reality Media are center of democratic reality
Ownership affects all these aspects of democracy Owners decide what people know and care about and how they view issues
2. Describe the four major trends in global communication.
Convergence o Digital technologies alter and blur the traditional distinctions between print and broadcasting media o Media Corporations provide information and entertainment, content and distribution, telephone and cable, subscriptions and advertisements o Convergence strategies have shifted from multimedia content convergence to cross-media opportunities for advertisers
Conglomeration and concentration o Structural features of global media system whereby a small number of media firms end up (through mergers and acquisitions) owning the majority of media products o Conglomerate media firms operate across various media platforms (television, newspapers, satellite, cable, film, publishing, internet)
Globalization o The transformation of communication spaces and social relations occurring across national borders o Economic globalization: integration of global economy through free-trade mechanisms and international bodies such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) o Cultural globalization: absorption and integration of global cultural forms into other cultural products and services
Deregulation o The belief by government and international trade bodies that competitive markets are fostered by not regulating the media
3. Define: horizontal concentration ownership, vertical concentration and cross-media ownership. Give examples of each in Canada.
Horizontal concentration of ownership o A firm in one line of media buys a major interest in another media operation not directly related to the original business, or takes a major stake in a non-media company o Example: CTV Globemedia Vertical concentration of ownership o A concentration of firms within a single line of business in order to extend a company’s control over the process of production and/or distribution o Example: CanWest Global Communications Cross-media ownership o A firm in one discrete industry acquires a firm in another industry (e.g. a broadcaster buying a newspaper) o When a firm owns properties in two or more kinds of media o Example: Quebecor buying Groupe Vidéotron
4. What options are there for public input into media policy?
CRTC: oversees creation of media policy through a process that invites public participation and comment on significant policy changes; holds public hearings such as The Diversity of Voices hearings Organizations such as Campaign for Democratic Media
5. What is net neutrality and why is it important? What about the sale of the electromagnetic radio spectrum?
Net neutrality o Internet service providers (ISPs) should and must treat all content and applications equally o is being eroded by “throttling” (the intentional slowing of internet service by an ISP) and “traffic shaping” (delaying some or all datagrams to bring them into compliance with a desired traffic profile) ISPs single out data to treat differently Sale of electromagnetic radio spectrum o radio frequencies are being auctioned to the highest bidder o large communications companies bid prohibitively high concentrated ownership, limited competition (newcomers cannot afford to enter the market)
6. What is the argument for public service broadcasting?
Designed to protect the public interest and gives the public a say in cultural reality protects Canadian culture from American threat Fosters “national consciousness” and “national unity” Ensures that all Canadians, regardless of “class or place” have equal benefits of broadcasting
Minding the Growing Gaps: Alternative Media in Canada (Skinner) 1. What are the characteristics and definitions of alternative media? How are they different?
Alternative media provide perspectives and modes of communication not readily available through the profit driven media Include traditional media forms and Web-based media Different approaches to define it Radical alternative media o explicitly challenge dominant institutions, ideas, values o expand range of information, reflection, and exchange from limited mainstream media discourse o often have close relationship with ongoing social movements citizen’s media o actively involved in intervening and transforming the established mediascape to empower the communities with which they are involved o a broad range of media involved in cultural politics that work to transform established ways of seeing and operating in the world enable wider social participation in their creation than is possible with mass media provide news and information that are more directly relevant to the communities they serve and are more responsive to the needs and interests of those communities challenge concentration of media power provide alternative ways of seeing social groups and events Summary o Promotion of public dialogue, exchange of ideas, and social action, build community o Based on concern that dominant corporate media do not adequately represent interests of all members of society, represent perspectives of socially, politically, culturally excluded
2. What problem is alternative media trying to address?
Concentrations of media power, and particularly corporate media gaps and omissions in the news offered by large, profit-driven media concerning the following issues: labor, social inequality, corporate power, environmental degradation, human rights abuses by Canada’s friends, gender-related stereotypes.
3. How is news affected by economic concerns? (List at least two ways). How is alternative media different?
Impact of economic concerns o News and commentary are shaped by a consumerist orientation o There is a drive to capture audiences with particular demographic qualities o Narrative style is also affected, written in inverted pyramid style (facts laid out in descending order of importance, no conclusion), can easily be
adjusted to fit the “news hole” (space allotted for news after ads have been placed) o Stories focus on the impact on the individual, not society as a whole
Alternative media o Guided by a purpose other than profit: providing ideas and opinions not readily available in mainstream media o Independently owned, operated on a not-for-profit or cooperative basis o Do not accept advertising, and if they do, the income is seen as secondary to serving community and social purposes o Mobilize their audience to other that economic ends (sell social change instead of products)
4. Why does the CRTC support aboriginal media?
Concentration of ownership has resulted in reduced representations of local voices Many Aboriginal people live in small, remote settlements, making communication within their communities difficult
5. What is open publishing and how is it alternative?
Open Publishing allows anyone with access to the Web to instantly publish work on a globally accessible Web site using open-source software Goal is to have as few editorial decisions as possible between content creator and audience horizontal relationship
6. What does it mean to say that a media outlet has a ‘horizontal’ rather than a ‘vertical’ relationship to its audience?
Horizontal relationship between media outlet and audience: as little filtering between news and information as possible as few editorial decisions as possible between content creator and audience
Media are source of entertainment, information, news, ideology, history, ideas, and information about products and services Media are used to achieve political power Media are center of Canadian cultural, economic, social and political reality Media are center of democratic reality
Ownership affects all these aspects of democracy Owners decide what people know and care about and how they view issues
2. Describe the four major trends in global communication.
Convergence o Digital technologies alter and blur the traditional distinctions between print and broadcasting media o Media Corporations provide information and entertainment, content and distribution, telephone and cable, subscriptions and advertisements o Convergence strategies have shifted from multimedia content convergence to cross-media opportunities for advertisers
Conglomeration and concentration o Structural features of global media system whereby a small number of media firms end up (through mergers and acquisitions) owning the majority of media products o Conglomerate media firms operate across various media platforms (television, newspapers, satellite, cable, film, publishing, internet)
Globalization o The transformation of communication spaces and social relations occurring across national borders o Economic globalization: integration of global economy through free-trade mechanisms and international bodies such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) o Cultural globalization: absorption and integration of global cultural forms into other cultural products and services
Deregulation o The belief by government and international trade bodies that competitive markets are fostered by not regulating the media
3. Define: horizontal concentration ownership, vertical concentration and cross-media ownership. Give examples of each in Canada.
Horizontal concentration of ownership o A firm in one line of media buys a major interest in another media operation not directly related to the original business, or takes a major stake in a non-media company o Example: CTV Globemedia Vertical concentration of ownership o A concentration of firms within a single line of business in order to extend a company’s control over the process of production and/or distribution o Example: CanWest Global Communications Cross-media ownership o A firm in one discrete industry acquires a firm in another industry (e.g. a broadcaster buying a newspaper) o When a firm owns properties in two or more kinds of media o Example: Quebecor buying Groupe Vidéotron
4. What options are there for public input into media policy?
CRTC: oversees creation of media policy through a process that invites public participation and comment on significant policy changes; holds public hearings such as The Diversity of Voices hearings Organizations such as Campaign for Democratic Media
5. What is net neutrality and why is it important? What about the sale of the electromagnetic radio spectrum?
Net neutrality o Internet service providers (ISPs) should and must treat all content and applications equally o is being eroded by “throttling” (the intentional slowing of internet service by an ISP) and “traffic shaping” (delaying some or all datagrams to bring them into compliance with a desired traffic profile) ISPs single out data to treat differently Sale of electromagnetic radio spectrum o radio frequencies are being auctioned to the highest bidder o large communications companies bid prohibitively high concentrated ownership, limited competition (newcomers cannot afford to enter the market)
6. What is the argument for public service broadcasting?
Designed to protect the public interest and gives the public a say in cultural reality protects Canadian culture from American threat Fosters “national consciousness” and “national unity” Ensures that all Canadians, regardless of “class or place” have equal benefits of broadcasting
Minding the Growing Gaps: Alternative Media in Canada (Skinner) 1. What are the characteristics and definitions of alternative media? How are they different?
Alternative media provide perspectives and modes of communication not readily available through the profit driven media Include traditional media forms and Web-based media Different approaches to define it Radical alternative media o explicitly challenge dominant institutions, ideas, values o expand range of information, reflection, and exchange from limited mainstream media discourse o often have close relationship with ongoing social movements citizen’s media o actively involved in intervening and transforming the established mediascape to empower the communities with which they are involved o a broad range of media involved in cultural politics that work to transform established ways of seeing and operating in the world enable wider social participation in their creation than is possible with mass media provide news and information that are more directly relevant to the communities they serve and are more responsive to the needs and interests of those communities challenge concentration of media power provide alternative ways of seeing social groups and events Summary o Promotion of public dialogue, exchange of ideas, and social action, build community o Based on concern that dominant corporate media do not adequately represent interests of all members of society, represent perspectives of socially, politically, culturally excluded
2. What problem is alternative media trying to address?
Concentrations of media power, and particularly corporate media gaps and omissions in the news offered by large, profit-driven media concerning the following issues: labor, social inequality, corporate power, environmental degradation, human rights abuses by Canada’s friends, gender-related stereotypes.
3. How is news affected by economic concerns? (List at least two ways). How is alternative media different?
Impact of economic concerns o News and commentary are shaped by a consumerist orientation o There is a drive to capture audiences with particular demographic qualities o Narrative style is also affected, written in inverted pyramid style (facts laid out in descending order of importance, no conclusion), can easily be
adjusted to fit the “news hole” (space allotted for news after ads have been placed) o Stories focus on the impact on the individual, not society as a whole
Alternative media o Guided by a purpose other than profit: providing ideas and opinions not readily available in mainstream media o Independently owned, operated on a not-for-profit or cooperative basis o Do not accept advertising, and if they do, the income is seen as secondary to serving community and social purposes o Mobilize their audience to other that economic ends (sell social change instead of products)
4. Why does the CRTC support aboriginal media?
Concentration of ownership has resulted in reduced representations of local voices Many Aboriginal people live in small, remote settlements, making communication within their communities difficult
5. What is open publishing and how is it alternative?
Open Publishing allows anyone with access to the Web to instantly publish work on a globally accessible Web site using open-source software Goal is to have as few editorial decisions as possible between content creator and audience horizontal relationship
6. What does it mean to say that a media outlet has a ‘horizontal’ rather than a ‘vertical’ relationship to its audience?
Horizontal relationship between media outlet and audience: as little filtering between news and information as possible as few editorial decisions as possible between content creator and audience
