Explain how ownership shapes media products. ­­­Refer to EITHER The Daily Mirror OR The Times to support your points(12 marks)

Explain how ownership shapes media products. ­­­Refer The Times to support your points  (12 marks)

Ownership often influences how media products are shaped. Rupert Murdoch , who owns The Times, also owns a lot of other companies. Here we could apply the theory of Media Institutions by Hesmondhalgh, this states that the idea that cultural industry companies try to minimise risk and maximise their demographics through vertical and horizontal integration. Rupert Murdoch does this effectively in horizontal integration through The Sun and The Times. This allows him to influence the gatekeeper in his political bias and publish this in a broadsheet and a tabloid, which targets a more middle class audience but also a working class audience. Ownership doesn't only influence the print based sector but online and television sector. As Murdoch owns Sky, this allows him, again, to influence the way the news is broadcasted on Sky News, this is vertical integration as the same message is being portrayed through a different medium. During the breaks of the broadcasts, Merdoch promotes more of his other products through adverts, (convergence).

cultural 

 

Rupert merdoch owns the times

- sky

- 20th century fox