Media as a means of production

According to Silverblatt (204) it can be argued that the media have emerged as a new social institution replacing traditional social institutions like the family, church and school. An increasing number of people are looking to the media for direction with respect to values and rules of behaviour although there is a tendency to avoid the unpopular and unconventional. The media have a huge effect on people's lifestyles, dictating daily activities, language and fashion. Daily activities include families sitting down at the same time every evening to watch the news. Language and Fashion can include people following the influence of what celebrities are doing and wearing.

Media production is essentially based on the need to please the audience. If the audience needs are ignored then the likely outcome is commercial failure. These needs are met with their daily dose of news from whats going on around the world or from giving viewers their daily dose of soap opera drama or celebrity gossip. Media figures have emerged as societal role models, representing a standard of success that their fans seek to follow (Silverblatt, 2004).

However, ideology refers to a set of ideas which produce a partial and selective view of reality, this in turn serves the interests of those with power in society. We can see this in times of war when the government seek direct control over the media, they do not want their public support being undermined by images of civilian casualties.

Looking at it this way I think that the medias main role is circulating and re-inforcing dominant ideologies that are put in place by those in power. Because of the people in power they rarely undermine and challenge these ideologies.