1) To what extent do you agree with Alain de Botton's views on the News?
I agree with Alain de Botton's view on the News to a certain extent because he makes a few valid points. The news is in fact the most powerful force out there and we only seem to concentrate on news that is put into some sort of disastrous imagery. The news "parachutes us to disastrous places" as we are familiar with the area around us. The news only shows us what they view as priorities and, in a way, has replaced the role of religion, as it guides people now. Recently, people feel helpless and manipulated by the news. Some news content is biased and due to the level o negativity thrown at us, people flee to the government and view them as a refuge. The news always sends a moral panic (Cohen). However, I do not 100% agree with the point that we are not told to decode the news as people do analyse the news and news articles. We may not analyse it to an extent to find out where the information is from etc. but we do analyse news to search out the purpose of the news industry and whether or not certain news stories are biased or edited by gatekeepers/elite people.
2) How can you link Marxism and Hegemony to de Botton's criticisms of the News?
Marxism and hegemony can clearly be linked to de Botton's criticism of the News as Marxism view capitalist society as being one of class domination and that the media are seen to promote hegemonic ideology and ensure the dominance of certain classes as de Botton argues that the elite people drown us with news in order for us to accept the status quo. The news controls and guides people's lives now without knowing it and this is what a Marxist would argue that we enjoy the illusion of autonomy and socialise into and internalise the norms of the dominant culture. Despite the fact we feel as if we have freedom, in reality we are suffering from false consciousness.
3) How could you use Pluralism and new technology to challenge de Botton's views on the News?
A pluralist sees the control of media in the hands o an autonomous managerial elite who allow a considerable degree of flexibility to media professionals. Therefore, a pluralist could challenge de Botton's view by saying that we get to choose what news we want to consume. We have the option of either watching the news offered to us or producing our own news through citizen journalism. Pluralism goes against the hyperdermic needle model which is what de Botton seems to be explaining.
4) Choose two news stories from the last six months - one that supports de Botton's views and one that challenges his belief that the News is used for social control.
SUPPORTS: Why the future of newspapers is not all doom and gloom/ Female technology journalists report abuse is still the name of the gameCHALLANGES: Sun website to scrap paywall
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