Cultural Industries
Cultural Industries
1) What does the term 'Cultural Industries' actually refer to?
Cultural Industries refers to the creation, production and distribution of products of
a cultural or artistic nature. Cultural Industries include: Television, Film Productions and Music.
2) What does Hesmondhalgh identify regarding the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable?
The societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable tend to be societies that support the conditions where large companies, and their political allies, make money. These conditions being: constant demand for new products.
3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?
Texts tend to offer ideologies which challenge capitalism or the inequalities of gender and racism in society. This happens because the cultural industry companies need to continuously compete with each other to secure audience members.
4) Look at page 2 of the factsheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?
Risk derives from the fact that audiences use cultural commodities in highly volatile and unpredictable ways – often in order to express the view that they are different from other people.
6) What is your opinion on the creativity v commerce debate? Should the media be all about profit or are media products a form of artistic expression that play an important role in society?
I believe that the media should more so be about a form of artistic expression as everything that we do in life, begins from passion. Media products such as television (movies) are established for the purpose of entertainment and this shouldn't change. Media products should be a way for one to relax and seek pleasure therefore, if media products were all about profit, then this element of relaxation and entertainment would be gone as then, media producers would not be creating content and businesses for the purpose of entertainment, but profit.
7) How do cultural industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits? (Clue: your work on Industries - Ownership and control will help here)
Cultural industries can be highly profitable in spite of high levels of risk, but it may be difficult to achieve high levels of profit for independent or individual companies.
8) Do you agree that the way the cultural industries operate reflects the inequalities and injustices of wider society? Should the content creators, the creative minds behind media products, be better rewarded for their work?
Yes as many of the topics issued in cultural industries deals heavily with issues facing society today. This includes drug overuse-age, murder, and psychological disorders.
9) Listen and read the transcript to the opening 9 minutes of the Freakonomics podcast - No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry. Why has the visual effects industry suffered despite the huge budgets for most Hollywood movies?
10) What is commodification?
Commodification is the changing social significance of the cultural industries which involves the transforming of objects and services into commodities.
11) Do you agree with the argument that while there are a huge number of media texts created, they fail to reflect the diversity of people or opinion in wider society?
No, I believe that a huge number of texts created do not fail to reflect the diversity of people as there are many more movies coming out either produced by people from ethnic minority group such as Black and Indian people, and also movies such as Topboy and Blue story represent this diversity as it becomes more and more explored in todays day and age.
12) How does Hesmondhalgh suggest the cultural industries have changed? Identify the three most significant developments and explain why you think they are the most important
Cultural Industries refers to the creation, production and distribution of products of
a cultural or artistic nature. Cultural Industries include: Television, Film Productions and Music.
2) What does Hesmondhalgh identify regarding the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable?
The societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable tend to be societies that support the conditions where large companies, and their political allies, make money. These conditions being: constant demand for new products.
3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?
Texts tend to offer ideologies which challenge capitalism or the inequalities of gender and racism in society. This happens because the cultural industry companies need to continuously compete with each other to secure audience members.
4) Look at page 2 of the factsheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?
- Risky Business
- Creativity vs. commerce
- High production costs and low reproduction costs and low reproduction costs
- Semi-public goods; the need to create scarcity
Risk derives from the fact that audiences use cultural commodities in highly volatile and unpredictable ways – often in order to express the view that they are different from other people.
6) What is your opinion on the creativity v commerce debate? Should the media be all about profit or are media products a form of artistic expression that play an important role in society?
I believe that the media should more so be about a form of artistic expression as everything that we do in life, begins from passion. Media products such as television (movies) are established for the purpose of entertainment and this shouldn't change. Media products should be a way for one to relax and seek pleasure therefore, if media products were all about profit, then this element of relaxation and entertainment would be gone as then, media producers would not be creating content and businesses for the purpose of entertainment, but profit.
7) How do cultural industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits? (Clue: your work on Industries - Ownership and control will help here)
Cultural industries can be highly profitable in spite of high levels of risk, but it may be difficult to achieve high levels of profit for independent or individual companies.
8) Do you agree that the way the cultural industries operate reflects the inequalities and injustices of wider society? Should the content creators, the creative minds behind media products, be better rewarded for their work?
Yes as many of the topics issued in cultural industries deals heavily with issues facing society today. This includes drug overuse-age, murder, and psychological disorders.
9) Listen and read the transcript to the opening 9 minutes of the Freakonomics podcast - No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry. Why has the visual effects industry suffered despite the huge budgets for most Hollywood movies?
10) What is commodification?
Commodification is the changing social significance of the cultural industries which involves the transforming of objects and services into commodities.
11) Do you agree with the argument that while there are a huge number of media texts created, they fail to reflect the diversity of people or opinion in wider society?
No, I believe that a huge number of texts created do not fail to reflect the diversity of people as there are many more movies coming out either produced by people from ethnic minority group such as Black and Indian people, and also movies such as Topboy and Blue story represent this diversity as it becomes more and more explored in todays day and age.
12) How does Hesmondhalgh suggest the cultural industries have changed? Identify the three most significant developments and explain why you think they are the most important
- Cultural industries are no longer seen as second to the ‘real’ economy. Some are actually vast global businesses.
- Ownership and organisation of cultural industries is now much broader - the largest cultural companies now operate across a range of cultural industries (for example, TV, publishing and film).
- These large conglomerates are now connected in complex ways however there are also many small and medium sized companies who create cultural products. These companies are becoming increasingly connected with other medium and large cultural industries.
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