T3 | Wk 10 | Wednesday - past question approach

 Question 1 Assess the extent to which public discourse is controlled by the media.

 Cambridge rewards responses that recognise:

• complexity
• competing viewpoints
• theory
• case studies
• audience agency
• changes caused by digital media
• evaluation of different forms of power

A strong argument is:

The media has significant power to influence public discourse through agenda-setting, representation, ownership and rhetoric, but this control is never absolute because governments, audiences, social media users and alternative media can challenge, negotiate and reshape dominant meanings.

 

Breaking down the question

Key term: Public discourse

Public discourse refers to:

The conversations, ideas, debates, values and issues that circulate in society.

 

Examples:

• climate change
• immigration
• crime
• elections
• gender
• war
• economic issues
• national identity
• health
• social justice

Media can influence:

• what issues are discussed
• how issues are framed
• who gets to speak
• whose voices are excluded
• which ideas become normalised

Define the concept:

Public discourse refers to the ways issues, events and ideas are discussed within society. Media institutions have historically exercised considerable power over discourse through ownership, representation, agenda-setting and rhetoric. However, digital media and audience participation have complicated traditional models of control. Therefore, while media organisations continue to shape public discussion, their influence is contested and negotiated rather than absolute.

Introduction

Define:

• public discourse
• media power

State debate:

Media institutions significantly influence public discourse through agenda-setting, representation and ownership structures, but control is increasingly contested by audiences, digital media and alternative voices.

 

Key Debates

Students should frame essays around these tensions:

Debate	Question
Ownership	Who controls media?
Algorithms	Who controls visibility?
Audiences	Are people passive or active?
Platforms	Do social media democratise discourse?
Hegemony	Are dominant ideas normalised?
Resistance	Can audiences challenge narratives?

 

 

 

Useful Theories 

1.    Curran and Seaton

Media ownership matters.

Large organisations possess:

• resources
• distribution networks
• political influence

This gives some institutions greater power over discourse.

Examples:

• Disney
• News Corp
• Meta
• Google

Evaluation

The internet allows smaller voices to enter debates.

2.     Stuart Hall – Encoding/Decoding

Media producers encode preferred meanings.

Audiences may:

Dominant reading

Accept.

Negotiated reading

Partly accept.

Oppositional reading

Reject.

Evaluation

This challenges the idea of total media control.

3.     Gramsci – Hegemony

Dominant groups maintain influence by making ideas appear:

• natural
• normal
• common sense

Media contributes through repeated representations.

Example:

Repeated associations between:

• success and wealth
• consumerism and happiness
• economic growth and progress

Evaluation

Alternative media can challenge dominant ideologies.

 

4.     McCombs and Shaw – Agenda-Setting

Media may not tell audiences what to think, but can influence:

what people think about.

Example:

Heavy coverage of:

• immigration
• inflation
• climate change
• crime

can elevate these issues within public discussion.

Evaluation

Digital media means audiences increasingly influence agendas through:

• social media trends
• hashtags
• citizen journalism

 

 

5.     Shirky – End of Audience

Digital media has shifted audiences from:

consumers

to:

participants.

Audiences:

• create content
• comment
• share
• challenge institutions

Evaluation

Platforms still retain power through algorithms.

 

Useful Terminology

Students should include:

• public sphere
• discourse
• hegemony
• ideology
• agenda-setting
• framing
• gatekeeping
• representation
• rhetoric
• audience agency
• algorithmic power
• media ownership
• participatory culture
• preferred meaning
• oppositional reading
• prosumer
• convergence
• platform capitalism

 

Useful Examples 

 

1.     COVID-19 Communication

Government communication:

• daily briefings
• social media
• news coverage

created dominant narratives.

Evaluation:

Alternative media and online discussion also influenced discourse.

 

2.     Black Lives Matter

Shows:

Media power

News organisations framed events.

Audience power

Users created:

• videos
• posts
• hashtags

Public discourse became contested rather than controlled by one institution.

Excellent example for:

discourse as negotiation.

3.     Facebook and the 2016 US Election

Concerns around:

• misinformation
• targeting
• algorithms

Illustrates:

platforms can influence which information circulates.

Evaluation:

Audiences still choose whether to engage.