3. Topic Research - Sociology
Development
90’s 2012
There has been an upsurge in
progressive activism (basically Web
2.0)
since the 90’s within democratize
of the content, practices and
structures in dominant media
(basically we all now have equal freedom
throughout media in comparison before)

4. Topic Research - Sociology
Mass
Media
Sociologists believe that the Mass Media is one of the
main factors that reinforce modern culture – and most
significant at that.
They find that we are bombarded with messages to
either promote, reflect and create a culture that
society should follow.
Some call this ‘medicated media’

5. Topic Research - Sociology
Web 2.0
Keen 2007
Web 2.0 has been ushered in by rhetoric of ‘democratization’
Keen defined this by stories and images of ‘the people’ reclaiming the internet and
taking control of its content’ a kind of ‘people’s internet’ or less positively, the
emergence of the cult of the amateur.
O’Reilly 2005
He notes that operating software and applications move above the level of single
devices, which further Lash 2000 states technology moved from the desktop to
WebTop
Led to…
• New collaborative
• Participatory
• Open culture
Anyone can get involved -> potential to be seen and heard

6. Topic Research - Sociology
Web 2.0 Balnaves, Donald and ShoeSmith 2009
“4 Distinct revolutions in the history of media”
Mosoco 2004
Cautions about the significance and effects of current media and public
communication – noting the warning of “digital sublime”,
Woolgar 2002 even discusses the “cyberbole”, and the five-stage technology
‘Hype Cycle’ described by Gartner Research 2008. Therefore not agreeing that …
Battelle 2005 states Web 2.0 shapes public communication.
However the development of Web 3.0 is well advanced and is predicted to
accelerate changes, as well as lead to a range of new functions and dysfunctions

7. Topic Research - Sociology
Reform
Activism
Media reform and activism can be politically conservative or
reactionary, in the sense of reinforcing patterns of hierarchy
and exclusion.
An example are campaigns by fundamentalists religious
groups against gay-positive representations or policies
(e.g Disney corporation was the target of a campaign against
same-sex partner employee benefits)
This concerns media activism that is democratic and
progressive – in the sense of seeking a more equality
sharing of political, economic, social, cultural and
informational resources and status.

8. Topic Research - Sociology
Mobilisation to
Collective Action Charles and Tilly -
1978
Mobilisation to Collective Action 1978
They note the emerging shape and form of social activism – changing the
repertoire of collective action. This grasps democratic media activism. Therefore
they point our four predominant forms of action to democratize communication
– which ultimately makes media equal and fair.
#1 #2 #3 #4
influencing content advocating reform building hanging the
and practices of of government independent, relationship
mainstream media policy/regulation of democratic and between audiences
media in order to participatory media. and media, chiefly
e.g. finding openings change the structure by
for oppositional and policies of e.g. skills training, empowering
voices, media media themselves distribution services audiences to be
monitoring, more critical of
campaigns to change e.g. media reform hegemonic media
specific aspects of coalitions
representation e.g. media education
and culture jamming.

9. Topic Research - Sociology
Effects
McChesney 1993 & Star 2000
He found encouraging recent surge of work on alternative media
as a site of potentially counter-hegemonic cultural and political
practice . Therefore media is developing back to its manipulated
and influential state
Curran 2003 & Downing 2001
Whereas this study has been relatively few effects on resistance,
hereby modern societies aren't as democratic as it seems.
The debate on society being democratic or hegemonic is
therefore very hard to define and state

10. Topic Research - Sociology
Class
Dominance
Theory
Class dominant theory argues that media reflects and
projects the view of a minority elite, which controls it.
• Those who control, produce media
• Limits competition of big businesses – especially new media
• Few people have change to manipulate what people hear and
see
• Can avoid stories

11. Topic Research - Sociology
Culturist
Theory
The culturist Theory sees audiences as playing an
active rather than passive role in mass media – how
they interact and produce.
• Emphasise amount of options
• Interpretations, developing knowledge and experience
Claim few elite in large corporations exert significant control over
what information media produces and distributes and audience
play more powerful role

12. Topic Research - Sociology
Primary I asked…
Research Do you think society is being indirectly
controlled or is democracy increased in media?
My respondents generally think…
• Society hegemonic-ally controlled – i.e indirectly being
told how to act
• Media is a big controlling factor emphasising
ideology to society
• Democracy is a smokescreen to keep us all dumb
from how they are indirectly controlling us

13. Topic Research - Sociology
Democratic or
Hegemonic
Democratic Hegemonic
Web 2.0 and 3.0 has allowed the The elite still take control over the
audience to have greater media as they are the ones who own
participation the industries

15. Topic Research – Social Media
Networking
Use of Twitter’s hash tag is used to unite people
opinions from all around the world,
- Enforcing democracy -
this is also used throughout media including
TV and Magazines
E.G documentary
‘one born every minute’
This allows the audience to participate with the programmes –
significantly those who ‘shout-out’ the tweets between intervals to share
with viewers, which would have not been done before Web 2.0
However tweets are chosen – presenting a small sensation of
hegemony in Networking

16. Topic Research – Social Media
Networking
Followed Facebook is largely democratic as everyone has the equal
freedom to create pages and groups on something they like, they
think or they do
However, other users could be manipulated by these domineering
groups and feel pressure to like what they do, ultimately they feel
they have to conform the ‘Facebook ideals’

17. Topic Research – Social Media
Social News Thankfully to Web 2.0 we can all interact and post our
own stories on social news sites! However Hegemony
and Democracy exists within
Although Slashdot emphasises their
qualities of allowing their audience
participation generate their whole site
• Users can post their own stories
• However, the stories they get from page
are decided by a more powerful figure

18. Topic Research – Social Media
Social News Where as Digg is largely a democratic website
– fully in control by the audience
Digg has a voting system put on every user
generated story where any user is allowed
to vote ‘Digg’ or ‘Bury’
• The story with most votes get from page
• The story with too many burys is deleted
from the website

19. Topic Research – Social Media
Blogs Blogs have practically no rules, you can post
what ever you want based on your interests
This promotes audience freedom, further an equal and
fair system
i.e – on Tumblr, nothing is censored
Celebrity / Idol blog Culture blog
Fashion blog

20. Topic Research – Social Media
Blogs However these systems are tailored to
your likes and dislikes –
E.G if you type in ‘Fashion blogs’ in Google, only a
certain type will come up that you like
They rest is not shown to you
This almost forms your likes, as the ones your not
shown could be something you would like but you
cant see it do you don’t have the opportunity.
This may come up for
me
But this would come up
to someone else

21. Topic Research – Social Media
Online Dating Since the internet started online dating has been slowly
developing. To now, people can tick boxes and find a
partner who is similar to them while being on a website
that caters there need whether it be
• Age
• Sexuality
• Culture
• Religion
• Fetishes
Though this system that picks our your match could not be
presenting you will all compatibilities – taking control to who you
will speak to and who you won’t – you are not in-control and as
widespread as you think you are to find love online. However, it
depends as a user how much you trust the sites.

22. Topic Research – Social Media
Wiki’s
But who does actually edit the information – Those with the resources and
knowledge
These faceless ‘professionals’ are the ones who dominate industries and
manipulate people below or in less authority than them.
Therefore how does anyone know this information is not
hegemonic?
People always take it how it is – because they think someone more
knowledgeable is always right, to which the audience conforms

23. Topic Research – Social Media
Video sites are again all audience
E.G…
Video Sites participatory which
48 hours of footage is uploaded every hour!
An example of audience
participation is
- Nam cat -
people start posting
cats watching the
This enforced the things what video
people like get popular and allow
other to post their own video’s
of it – connecting people across
the world because of Web 2.0
the creativity that inspires others in
technological culture making many
so many different versions
entire remix community, something
we all became a part of.
to posting a cat
watching a cat watch
the video.

24. Topic Research – Social Media
TED Kevin Allocca
Talks Why video’s go viral
A part of this video highlights the reason for
some video’s popularity is because of the
‘Tastemakers’ who publish it to the world.
This means on domineering figure influences
others to like a video, that otherwise
someone else who is not, it would not have
gone viral – presenting some type of Jimmy Kimmel tweeted on the video
hegemony

25. Topic Research – Social Media
Primary I asked…
Research Do you think social media is fair or
manipulated by the faceless business behind?
My respondents generally think…
• Being on twitter and Facebook is not beneficial as it
leads to bullying and manipulative way to be
• Allows us to express opinions, enforces democracy
• Some sites have a face behind it, so therefore by
knowing who would be manipulating you, allows
audience to think and be comfortable with the
owner and therefore the website

26. Topic Research – Social Media
Democratic or
Hegemonic
Democratic Hegemonic
Web 2.0 has dramatically increased Those who own sites generate your
our freedom to comment and post results
whatever we want

28. Topic Research - News
Bias The elite control the news, they show what the want
History to show and what they don’t
Have you ever noticed pieces of history don’t quite add up? Or that it seems
as though parts have been deleted or hidden from us?
Well the elite have authority to do this.
There are plenty if things the News hide from us. It's not hard
since most of us blindly follow.
• you are told what certain people want you to hear
• ever wondered who the groups and names of their people (monsters) behind
wars are?
• ever wondered why globalisation exists?
• ever wondered if history is exactly the way it is or is it only the author's
perspective?
• do you really think global warming is entirely created by man?
No, because News is completely hegemonic, the audience have
no say in what we know and what we don’t

29. Topic Research - News
Corrupt
Elite
Theoretically the corrupt elite can only be brought down if there is an
'awakening of the people', if people just stop accepting things the way they
are, they can actually progress and advance.
If there is enough information, technology, freedom to move forwards and
invest in rights for humanity, animals, plants and the world, in good
food, health, education and shelter for everyone.
But why doesn't society do this?
The news supress audience knowledge with ‘smokescreen’ information

30. Topic Research - News
Current
Debate
The current debate across the UK is whether
the News tell us everything we should know?
Some think that the news bombards society
with a big story e.g ‘Bin Laden's Death’ to
cover up a story on the elite, government –
and something their doing An example is Hitler who banned
smoking in Germany because it
caused cancer. However the
government kept it a secret &
flooded Germany with free cigarettes
to increase the death rate. Which was
Therefore making it extremely hard for
society to become anti-establishment and kept a complete secret to Americans!
react to what they show, as there is very little
evidence of this – but their dominance and
manipulation to the public is greatly evident

31. Topic Research - News
Dominance
Local TV news is
the most
popular that
audiences watch
and listen to
However, it only cover 12% of international news
• Because its cheap
• Easy to access
• international news is highly corruptive to show because of audience distrust with
governments – trying to hide something?
However audiences have no control to see this news as they don’t have the
resources, therefore we are inevitably manipulated by the news.
Most people believe what they are told – if its on TV News its almost officially the truth

32. Topic Research - News
TED Alisa Miller
Talks The news about news
The video stated shocking facts such as..
• Death of Anna Nicole Smith covered news on all countries
and had 10x more coverage than the IPCC report
• News networks have decreased by 50% of foreign bureaus
because covering people like Britney Is cheaper
• Global news is recycled and does not put their context
across in a away the audience could understand it-
leading to a decrease in knowledge around the world
• All down to dominance as 52% follow global news, but
they don’t even know that much about it
• And this is all out of our hands -> they are hegemonic

33. Topic Research - News
Primary I asked…
Research -
Do you think the news is showing us all
that we have the right to see? Or are they hiding stories?
My respondents generally think…
• Doesn't cover complete stories
• Depends on the opinions of the controller
• Depends on ownership
• Mainstream news is no longer trustworthy
• They show the cheaper stories so we aren't shown the
more important stories
• If we want the truth, we need to do our own research and
become more democratic

34. Topic Research - News
Democratic or
Hegemonic
Democratic Hegemonic
In the future the News could become The news is hegemonic controlled by
democratic if people have the the elite, they have the power.
resources and come together to They manipulate audiences to
become anti-establishment believe what they tell us

35. Record of Resources used…
Wikipedia Examples of wikis
Articles online To see which type of news is more dominant
Newspaper articles Too see a general stories the news post compared with others
YouTube videos Statistics
Textbooks Sociologist research
Periodicals -
Books -
Vimeo videos -
TED videos Social media and News search
Slide Share Sociologist research
Blogs Blogs research
Social Media Networking research on twitter and online dating
Phone interview, expert -
In-person interview public -
In-person interview expert -
Yahoo! Primary research