UNIT 6 BRITISH CULTURAL AND POLITICAL
The theory is able to bring to the fore and the reigning elites continue to dominate the media space. First is the ownership pattern of the media.
When you take a look at the media ownership in Nigeria, you will see that the media are owned predominantly either by the government or the politicians-businessmen (Ojebode, 2013). These owners determine what these media push out to the people. In other words, it is whatever they want the people to know that is projected in the media. In relation to this is the commercial orientation of the media. The media in a place like Nigeria have been heavily commercialised and average person does not have the wherewithal to use the media. Since he who pays the piper calls the tune, what the media give out is thus determined by the profit derivable from such content. Government policies are also sympathetic to media organisations. One reason for this is because the owners of the media are also politicians or friends of politicians, and as such policies are not applied in their entirety to favour media owners. The British cultural theorists frown at these practices and advocate that media play their roles to serve the interests of the public.
The strengths of British cultural studies lie in the fact that it asserts the value of popular culture, empowers common man, and minorities and values their culture, as well as stresses cultural pluralism and egalitarianism. But it is weak in that it is too political, call to action too subjective. It also lacks scientific verification, but based only on subjective observation. When subjected to scientific verification, it often employs innovative but controversial research methods.
3.2 Political Economy Theory
Political Economy Theory focuses on social elites’ use of economic power to exploit the media institutions which consequently controls the culture. In other words, the dominant elites shape the media to suit their interests and purposes through the control of means of production. That is, economic constraints limit or bias the forms of mass culture that are produced and distributed through the media. Political economy (PE) is an approach to studying media whose focus is attenuated towards the ways in which media is produced, distributed and consumed, rather than on analysing the interpretations of the signs and symbols found within texts.
The economic power at the disposal of social elites is the instrument of continuous domination of the media space and the mass audience. The social elites are able to sponsor shows that will promote their wishes and belief systems. They are the ones that can place adverts in the media, they are the one that can provide the money for the production of some contents. They even give money to journalists or keep journalists’ names their pay roll to write stories in particular ways which of course will be
in their own favour. With all of these, they determine what the media carry.
Political economy theory provides focus on how media are structured and controlled and offers empirical investigation of media finances. It also seeks link between media content production and media finances.
But it has little explanatory power at microscopic level and is not concerned with scientific verification; so it is based on subjective analysis of finances.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 6.1
List the ten (10) radio and television stations in Nigeria and identify their owners. What can you say about the owners- are the just businessmen or politicians?
4.0 CONCLUSION
British cultural studies highlights the social roles of media culture of a highly commercial and technologically advanced culture that serves the needs of dominant corporate interests, plays a major role in ideological reproduction, and in enculturating individuals into the dominant system of needs, thought, and behaviour. Political Economy focuses upon the ways in which politics and economics are not separate entities, as we often encounter them within educational contexts, but that economics and politics are fields which are best understood as being entangled – meaning that they are functionally inseparable – and that understanding elements of this entanglement is pivotal to understanding the way that any society and culture works.
5.0 SUMMARY
The theories discussed above are critical theories (Seiler, n.d). The help to openly expose certain values and use these values to evaluate the status quo. They seek to initiate social change that will implement their values. They raise question and provide alternative ways of interpreting the social role of the mass media.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. To what extent do you agree with the postulations in political economy theory?
2. The British cultural theory assumes that the media support long standing class distinctions and divisions, and impose high culture and ideology on minorities. Discuss, as much as you can with examples, the factors that make this phenomenon possible.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Baran, S.J. & Davis, D. K. (2012). Mass communication theory:
Foundations, ferment, and future. 6th edition,Boston: Wadsworth Ojebode, A. (2003). Ethical dilemma revisited: PBO newspapers and the
professional elbrow of the Nigerian journalist. Journal of African Media Studies.Vol 5 (3), pp.295-312
Griffin, E., Ledbetter, A. & Sparks G. (2015). A first look at communication theory. 9th edition. New York: McGraw Hill Seiler, R. M. (n.d). Media studies, critical theory, and cultural studies.
Accessed February 2, 2017 from
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~rseiler/hardt.htm
MODULE 6 INFORMATION SOCIETY THEORY