Hesmondhalgh:Cultural Industries

Cultural Industries: blog task

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

-The term ‘cultural industry’ refers to the creation, production, and distribution of products

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

-Hesmondhalgh identifies that 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.

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

-This occurs because companies in the cultural industry must consistently compete with each other to attract 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

-Semi-public goods; the need to create scarcity

-High production costs and low reproduction costs

-Creativity versus commerce

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

-Risk in the cultural industry comes from people consuming things, and it gets worse because of two things: first, creators are not given much freedom to make unique stuff; and second, companies count on other companies to let people know about new things.

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 think media should be about creativity and a form of artistic expression and the media should obviously aim to make some sort of profit so that they can produce excellent projects, but that shouldn't be their main aim.

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

Ownership and control will help here) 

-Diversification involves media companies exploring different areas within the industry, while convergence and synergy refer to promoting various media products derived from the same source. Companies diversify to reduce risk, providing audiences with choices and a variety of content options.

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?

-Cultural industries don't, in my opinion, reflect the injustices and inequities that exist in society. They frequently ignore more significant societal issues and inequalities in favour of making a profit and connecting with particular audiences. They concentrate more on identifiable niche markets.

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?

-700 artists demonstrated at the Oscars, claiming that outside political and economic forces were harming their sector and that visual effects company Rhythm and Hues was on the verge of bankruptcy.

10) What is commodification? 

-Turning everything into something that can be bought or sold. Commodification spreads the idea that owning something or holding property of something gives you the right to exclude others. This then leads to inequalities and the exclusion of groups.

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?

-I believe that the viewpoints of the audience are often overlooked in the media, and discussions on controversial or uncomfortable topics are dismissed. For example sexual harassment and assault.

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.

-He says that cultural industries can change how they manage creative stuff by understanding their impact on audiences. Important changes include formats, genres, and involving fans. This helps control how the creators work and how things are shared, giving more freedom in making things while also managing risks. Big companies are more involved in cultural production.