NDM: Institutional bias - fading influence?

One crucial aspect of our work studying the internet is judging the degree to which major institutions have influence over audiences.

There is a strong belief that new and digital media has taken power away from traditional institutions and placed it in the hands of the audience. But is this true? Media ownership sees major institutions dominating all platforms - including online. 

Media influence and politics

There have been many political campaigns in recent years that provide evidence for both sides of the debate. These are excellent examples to study when trying to judge the influence of the media on audiences.


The influence of media institutions: theory and quotes

There is less censorship and a lack of control of online information in comparison to traditional ‘mass media’ so it has become associated with what Castells describes as a “technological blossoming of the culture of freedom, individual innovation and entrepreneurialism” (Castells, 1996, 5).

The existence of this ‘anti-establishment culture’ has led some people to question the power that traditional institutions have over the internet.

Negroponte writes that ‘the monolithic empires of mass media are dissolving into an array of cottage industries’ (1997, 106).

However, Herman and McChesney (1997) were not convinced that the power of traditional institutions will be relinquished so easily:

"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."


Institutional bias: blog tasks

Read 'The Press and the Prime Minister' - an analysis of the media coverage of the 2015 UK general election. You'll need our Media Magazine archive - go to MM53 (page 12).

1) What does the article suggest was the main media influence on the 2015 general election?

2) What examples are provided of how social media was used during the 2015 election campaign?

3) Does analysis of the 2015 election suggest that new and digital media has challenged the power of traditional institutions?

Now read this Guardian article on social media influence in the recent 2017 UK general election. 

4) Why does it suggest Labour "won the social media election" in 2017?

5) What examples are provided of how the parties used social media during the 2017 election campaign?

6) Does analysis of the 2017 election suggest that new and digital media has challenged the power of traditional institutions?

7) Finally, write a paragraph summarising your own opinion on this debate: Have the inequalities that characterise old media ownership extended into new media ownership? Is the internet run by powerful media institutions?

Finish for homework if you don't complete it in the lesson - due next Thursday.