The conflict perspective focuses on the creation and reproduction of inequality—social
processes that tend to disrupt society rather than contribute to its smooth operation.
Newspaper Company in Jamaica Example: Gleaner and Observer.
Conflict theorists also look at who controls the media, and how media promotes the norms
of upper-middle-class, while minimizing the presence of the working class, especially people
of color.
Powerful individuals and social institutions have a great deal of influence over which forms
of technology are released, when and where they are released, and what kind of media is
available for our consumption, which is a form of gatekeeping.
define gatekeeping as the sorting process by which thousands of possible messages are
shaped into a mass media-appropriate form and reduced to a manageable amount.
In other words, the people in charge of the media decide what the public is exposed to, which, as C.
Wright Mills (1956) famously noted, is the heart of media’s power.
Popular sites such as YouTube and Facebook not only allow more people to freely share
information but also engage in a form of self-policing. Users are encouraged to report
inappropriate behavior that moderators will then address
.
The moods and attitudes of our society are influenced by messages delivered through mass
media channels. Mass media and advertising affect our actions, thoughts, and values. We
are at the point where mass media creates and reflects our culture–a mediated
culture[ CITATION Gre10 \l 8201 ]
Hegemony, the means by which a ruling/dominant group wins over a subordinate group
through ideas. ‘Culture’ in its many forms may thus serve as a mechanism for encouraging
people to accept the existing social order uncritically – as a means of ‘winning consent’.
Through culture, coercive power may not be needed to maintain dominance. Watching a
regular diet of soaps, daytime TV and sports programmes may be sufficient.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-introductiontosociology/chapter/functionalism-on-media-
and-technology/
[ CITATION Nie12 \l 8201 ]
[ CITATION Lum16 \l 8201 ]
Mass media means technology that is intended to reach a mass audience[ CITATION Stu20 \l 8201 ]
Bibliography
Dean, G. (2010, November 10). Marketography. Retrieved June 11, 2020, from Marketography.com:
https://marketography.com/tag/conflict-perspective/
Lumen. (2016, 05 26). Introduction to sociology. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from Racism:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/cochise-sociology-os/chapter/racism/
Nielsen. (2012, December 04). State of the Media – The Social Media Report 2012. Retrieved June
30, 2020, from State of the Media – The Social Media Report 2012: State of the Media – The
Social Media Report 2012
Study.com. (n.d.). What Is Mass Media? - Definition, Types, Influence & Examples. Retrieved July 02,
2020, from study.com: https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-mass-media-definition-
types-influence-examples.html
Vos, P. J. (2009). Gatekeeping theory. Retrieved Jul 11, 2020, from Gatekeeping theory:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287427851_Gatekeeping_theory
