Mass Media Today a Summary
THE MASS MEDIA TODAY:
DISCOURSES OF
DOMINATION OR
DIVERSITY? : SUMMARY
The thesis written by Teun A. Van Dijk talks about how the western media takes a one sided view- portraying minorities, immigrants etc in a negative light while still trying to prove itself independent of any bias. He explains that although neo-liberal discourse may now be prevailing, but it also exhibits conflicts and contradictions. The optimistic rhetoric of a New World Order after the Cold War is replaced by deep-seated doubts about how to manage current world problems. While the deeper causes of various political events in the south and the East also affect the North, we are also facing an Increasing ethnocentrism and racism in Europe and North America as people are escaping to this part of the world. Wild capitalism thus combines with wild ethnicism and racism in a frightening mixture of policies and social practices that result in keeping many people or even whole countries and continents, down and out- this is manifesting in the phenomena of ethnic cleansing with immigration restrictions.
What is the role of the media in this complex contemporary framework of social, economic and cultural forces? Markets, politics, policies, exploitation, and marginalization all need an ideological basis. Such ideologies require production and reproduction through public text and talk, which in our modern times are largely generated or mediated by the mass media. The fortresses of Europe and North America are not merely socio-economic palaces of the rich, but also mansions of the mind, that is, ideological constructs. The fundamental question is are the mass media siding with the force that thrives on racism and ethnocentrism, where or is it really trying to work towards real democracy. Most mainstream media will reject extremism, violence, and blatant discrimination and exclusion. Though they claim to follow the official ideology of equality propagated by national Constitutions in actual practice the
DISCOURSES OF
DOMINATION OR
DIVERSITY? : SUMMARY
The thesis written by Teun A. Van Dijk talks about how the western media takes a one sided view- portraying minorities, immigrants etc in a negative light while still trying to prove itself independent of any bias. He explains that although neo-liberal discourse may now be prevailing, but it also exhibits conflicts and contradictions. The optimistic rhetoric of a New World Order after the Cold War is replaced by deep-seated doubts about how to manage current world problems. While the deeper causes of various political events in the south and the East also affect the North, we are also facing an Increasing ethnocentrism and racism in Europe and North America as people are escaping to this part of the world. Wild capitalism thus combines with wild ethnicism and racism in a frightening mixture of policies and social practices that result in keeping many people or even whole countries and continents, down and out- this is manifesting in the phenomena of ethnic cleansing with immigration restrictions.
What is the role of the media in this complex contemporary framework of social, economic and cultural forces? Markets, politics, policies, exploitation, and marginalization all need an ideological basis. Such ideologies require production and reproduction through public text and talk, which in our modern times are largely generated or mediated by the mass media. The fortresses of Europe and North America are not merely socio-economic palaces of the rich, but also mansions of the mind, that is, ideological constructs. The fundamental question is are the mass media siding with the force that thrives on racism and ethnocentrism, where or is it really trying to work towards real democracy. Most mainstream media will reject extremism, violence, and blatant discrimination and exclusion. Though they claim to follow the official ideology of equality propagated by national Constitutions in actual practice the