MIGRAIN: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries

 1) What does the term 'Cultural Industries' actually refer to?

That the media has influence on use whatever we like it or not.

2) What does Hesmondhalgh identify regarding the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable?

He points out that societies with profitable cultural industries (e.g. USA, UK) tend to be dominated by large companies, have minimal government regulation and significant inequality between rich and poor.

3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?

because they are made for artistic value not for profit.

4) Look at page 2 of the fact sheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?
    • Risky business
    • Creativity versus commerce
    • High production costs and low reproduction costs
    • Semi-public goods; the need to create scarcity

    5) Why are so many cultural industries a 'risky business' for the companies involved?

    Hesmondhalgh said that 1 in every 10 media products successed if you are a small company and have resources only for creation of 5 media products there is a high chance on none of them making profit to keep the business alive.

    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?

    Well you have to look at it from both perspectives. form a business point of view a media product has  to be profitable in order for it to be sustainable so the company can make the money back so they can keep creating more media products. On the other hand, from the viewers point of view the media product has to be worth our time and money. If it has artistic value it will be profitable as we will want to consume it.

    7) How do cultural industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits? (Clue: your work on Industries - Ownership and control will help here) 

    Conglomerate ownership. Rich and powerful companies can buy other companies in the same chain of production to either reduce production cost(Vertical integration) or buy companies that aren't related to broaden their audience(Horizontal integration)

    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? 

    It does reflect inequalities and injustices of wider society as the powerful own most things and have power over us when we are giving them all the power. They should be rewarded more as they are the reason why those media product exist.

    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?

    Increased Demand and Expectations: High-quality visual effects in films are in more demand as filmmaking technology develops. Film audiences today want more complex and lifelike computer-generated imagery (CGI), which puts pressure on visual effects studios to provide cutting-edge work. The resources and schedules of VFX businesses may be strained by this growing demand.

    10) What is commodification? 

    The process by which products, services, or even concepts that were not previously seen as commodities—items that can be purchased, sold, and traded in the marketplace—become commodities is known as "commodification."

    11) Do you agree with the argument that while there are a huge number of media texts created, they fail to reflect the dive    rsity of people or opinion in wider society?

    No, there are loads of great media products that reflect diversity of people or opinion in wider society.

    12) How does Hesmondhalgh suggest the cultural industries have changed? Identify the two most significant developments and explain why you think they are the most important.

    New technology- it allows for wider communication.
    New society opinions-  People want the media to reflect what they think.

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