Essay

The development of new/digital media means The audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view. 

Developments in new and digital media has given audience more power in terms of consumption and production, however, Marxists theory still exists today as the elite still exists today 

A Marxist perspective would argue that the so-called information revolution has done little to benefit audiences or to subvert the established power structures in society. Far from being a great leveller (Krotoski, 2012) as many have claimed, it has merely helped to reinforce the status quo by promoting dominant ideologies. The most popular news website in the UK by a considerable margin is the 'mail online', which receives more than 8 million hits every month and is continuing to expand rapidly – with forecasts that it will make 100 million or more in digital revenues in the next three years. Similar to its tabloid print addition, the website takes a Conservative, right-wing perspective on key issues around gender, sexuality and race and audiences a pair to passively except what did Marxist theorist, Gramsci called a hegemonic view. When one of their chief columnist, Jan Moir, write a homophobic article about the death of Stephen Gately in 2009 there were Twitter and Facebook protests but, ultimately, they did not change their editorial direction of the gatekeepers controlling the newspaper.

A pluralist perspective would argue that society is classless and therefore gives audience is the plural values of society enabling them to 'confirm, accommodate, challenge, or reject' (Gurevitch). The pluralist perspective links to the uses of gratification theory by Blumer and Katz (1974) Who came up with an audience theory stating that media audiences are active and make conscious choices about the way they consume the media. These are audiences he is in the media for divergent escape from everyday problems, mainly for entertainment; for personal relationships that audiences use the media for emotional another interaction. Audience is also use the media for personal identity where they find themselves being reflected in texts of learning behaviours and values, as well as using the media for surveillance which is using the medium of information which is useful for living such as reading the news all looking at the weather forecast. The Arab Spring protest is a useful approach to understanding the pluralist approach as individual processes due to unemployment, rising prices and privatisation of the state; this shows how individuals are protesting against the elite and therefore as on the same level as them. Another useful example of studying the pluralist approach for audiences and the media would be citizen journalism as audiences have now become 'users' Who have become publishers where they create their own content. This gets audiences the power to come up their own news stories without having any gatekeepers or having the 'elite' control them; as Rushbridger argues ' the mutualisation or sneezes a very powerful idea that particularly writes for the Guardian, as our relationship with our readers is very strong. We can use the community of our readers in ways we would not have been able to in the past'.

On the other hand, Marxist theory would argue that audiences are being oppressed by the elite, they argue that people have no say over the medial produced. This links to Andrew Keans theory of a 'million monkeys typing nonsense'. Marxists also argue that the media or seen to promote hegemony ideology and ensure the dominance of certain classes, ultimate control is increasing concentrated in wealthy Cooperation/media conglomerates. Marxists also argue that the public suffer from false consciousness, which links to the idea of the hypodermic needle theory, that audiences are being given the incorrect information and are believing it. This is supported by a quote from Bill Thompson about how the media exaggerates statistics about rape are believe by audiences.

On the contrary, Pluralist encourage autonomy from the state, they Schlesinger how audiences voice their own voices and opinions which therefore encourage an alternative. Pluralist believe that audiences are not being controlled by the state as well as the elite as news writers tend to have their own freedom as they get to post what they want; the control of the media is said to be in the hands of an elite who allows a considerable degree of flexibility in production choices.This also links to the idea of citizen journalism as audiences tend to grab videos or photos to use as evidence and post it on social media which then begins to trend and becomes their headline. This also links to another pluralist idea that the audiences manipulate the media. 

However, the pluralist approach is criticised significantly by Marxists as they argue that the media manipulate audiences simply because of the profit motive. They argue that the media are seen to promote hegemonic ideology and ensure the dominance of certain classes. This links to the idea of class consciousness as the working class realise they are doing as they are being told by the elite as they are socialised into these norms. Herman and Mcchesney (1997) argue that the Internet and the digital revolution do not pose an immediate or even foreseeable threat to the market power of the media giants. In the current political climate, moreover, it is likely that the global media firms will be able to incorporate the Internet and related computer networks into their empires, while the egalitarian potential of the technology is minimised'.

Pluralist therefore argue that media organisations are seen as enjoying an important degree of autonomy from

The state, political parties and institutionalised pressure groups. Control of the media is said to be in the hands of an autonomous managerial elite (an elite who had freedom) who allows a considerable degree of flexibility to media professionals. A basic symmetry is seen to exist between media institutions and their audiences as Mcquai says 'the relationship is generally entered into voluntarily and on apparently equal terms' and audiences are seen as capable of manipulating the media in an infinite variety of ways according to their prior needs and dispositions. 

Examples to back up Marxists points are the fact that media corrupts us; the news wind us up for its own ends to keep itself in its job. Also the media promotes anger and feat to audiences; its a deliberate technique used by the elite to keep their business on top. It is seen as a sales technique - sensationalism. This therefore helps to maintain the status quo against them 'Goen'. This shows how the elite controls the media and uses the media to provoke the working class with the techniques they use such as rephrasing the words or making the headline.

Overall, both Marxists and pluralist have different views towards audience being more powerful towards the impact of new and digital media. However, due to the impacts of new and digital media, and the idea of citizen journalism gives audiences the power over media