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SESSION E:4. HANDOUT

SENSIBLE AND SILLY INTERVIEWS

(HEGEMONIC INFLUENCE IN THE MEDIA.)

The Web of Influences.

The concept of 'Hegemony' (from the Greek hegemon, leader, to denote a leading or paramount power) is an analytic method to understand the power structures and the dominant messages in the media. Hegemony is a term used to describe a complex web of forces of a political, economic, social and cultural nature.

According to the theory, hegemonic influence is all-pervasive, it is what might be described as 'That which goes without saying', or the
common-sense realities of the world, which it turns out, Marxist analysis asserts, serve the ultimate purpose of maintaining the dominance of the ruling class.

According to hegemonic theory, much of this influence is the result of
the media as unwitting instruments of deeply rooted, widespread perceptions. Thus the messages carried by the media, being more than mere ideology, have a much broader and deeper influence on people's very ideas of themselves and their world. They continuously manipulate and indoctrinate people's perceptions, altering attitudes and suggesting certain behaviours favourable to the ruling elite.

Finding evidence of such insidious influence is very difficult, because research and reflection must take place against a background of all the things we have always taken for granted and assume are a natural part of reality.

The role of community media.

Community broadcasters, in analysing hegemonic influence, will need
to look very deeply into the media's role in very fundamental ways. For instance, at the ability of media to generate a world-view that is taken for granted unquestioningly, both by those working within the media and by the public, even though, on reflection, it may not be in the best interests of the majority of citizens.

… For example, next time you are relaxing with your favourite television 'Soap', examine the values depicted there. You will probably find that there is almost total acceptance of political and economic hierarchies, an acceptance of the ruthlessness of business, an acceptance of the roles of women, employees and children, for example.

Of course soap operas, to remain popular, must reflect current reality, but in so doing, they reinforce that reality. This is the circular casuistry
of hegemonic influence. If such analysis does not completely ruin the story for you, it will enrich your understanding of such influences within the media.

Community media, as an alternative medium, need to begin the slow process of awareness raising about such issues so that people can begin to reflect and devise survival strategies if they don't like what they uncover.

Such analysis of hegemonic influence is a topic covered by several analytic techniques, including Marxist and Psychoanalytic Criticism.

… In seeking to develop a media service that is generally beneficial to the life of our community, we must be mindful, in doing such research, of the uses and gratification's we uncover. We must, through dialogue, consider whether some uses are positive or negative, who is promoting them and what they reveal about the current media and society as a whole.

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