Gramsci's hegemony theory and the ideological role of the mass media
The media as hegemonic tool - for and against
Media support of dominant ideologies
“The truth, because it can be spread, must be adapted to the historical
and cultural conditions of the social group in which we want it to be spread.” (Jenks (1995) : 81)
Due to the constraints of modern life and the intellectual and moral
difficulties it brings, media has a crucial role in forming the basis for any
communication between any group or groups of peoples. The imposition of
‘natural’ and ‘common sense’ traits has become very valuable in the study of
how society can be influenced by gathering social trends and bearing. Views
could be explained to be seen as individual and special to any particular
person. However, the theory that many people may have the same views as one
another, may lead to the assumption that media has an effect in placing and
changing views on a large scale basis.
Hegemony is used by Western culturalists to try and explain the backing
of widespread opinionated themes which run through society. Examples of this
may be found in the treatment of gay people, feminists and minorities within the
media. This argument tends to be supported by the seemingly matching media
coverage of the values. In one sense the media could be seen as offering an
opportunity for consumers to view the text and make their own minds up about
any particular subject. However, the
value given to the modern day media is in direct contrast to that view.
Pressures on people put there by advertisements, campaigns and coercion against
social minority groups to conform to a particular body or ideology could be
said to be huge. Racism is a large problem in modern Western culture and this
question, it could be argued, is made more problematic by the media attention
any story or campaign may achieve. The
increasing value placed upon media by politicians and the demand of
public to be told their news quickly and sharply leads to the conclusion that
media and the ideology it creates is directly answerable to the theory of
hegemony.
The media as 'fourth estate'?
Media has the power to move through social barriers and win and lose the
consent explained in theory of hegemony. It is this idea which places many
democratic governments at the will of the organised media. Consent gained and
lost by the media can be directly translated to the success and failure of
political parties, policies and leadership. An example of the power of the
press and media can be drawn in the battle for consent in respect of the Poll
Tax which was introduced by a politically lagging Margaret Thatcher. The media
instantly latched upon the idea and managed to create and fuel an atmosphere of
both hatred and passion towards the new policy and in turn, the government. The
pressure led to demonstration, rioting and general revolt against the idea. It
could be argued that theory of hegemony was tested by this fact. However, media
coverage of the whole story may have given rise to the eventual removal of the
policy, therefore the theory could be said to have linked in with the coverage
and ideological role of the media. Many people have moved to a situation
whereby they receieve their political information from soundbites and tiny
snippets of media. It is here where the battle lines are drawn when it comes to
the winning of consent. The turning of The Sun to support Labour in 1997 was
considered by many to be the turning
point. The headline “It was The Sun what won it.” (The Sun, 2 May 1997, p. 1.)
is an example of how the media saw the whole of the 1997 campaign. If the
people at the centre of creating the ideology to be consumed by the public see
the importance of the winning of consent through media, then the theory could
be argued to exist. However, the media
are as powerful as the public permits it to be. A monster created by the people
for the people; the media are responsible for the deliverance of messages is
the area of discussion for political ideology. People who are dragged into the
realm of believing and above all, trusting the media are the ones at risk of
being dominated and instilled with the values of others. The current ‘debates’
within the media on topics such as whether Britain should join the Euro and the
growing of genetically modified food are examples of the way in which media can
influence the debate. The phrase ‘Frankenstein food’ is regularly used to
describe the crops that no official report has conclusively proved any cast
iron facts.
