The Cultural Industries
1) What does the term 'Cultural Industries' actually refer to?
The term Cultural Industries refers to the creation,production and distribution of products of a cultural or artistic nature. Cultural Industries include television and film production,publishing,music as well as crafts and design.
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. These conditions being: constant demand for new products, minimal regulation outside of general competition law, relative political and economic stability, workforces that are willing to work hard.
3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?
The cultural industry companies need to continuously compete with each other to secure audience members. In which they try to outdo each other to satisfy audience desires. As well as there are longstanding social expectations about what art and entertainment should do and challenging the various institutions of society is one of those expectations.
4) Look at page 2 of the factsheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?
5) Why are so many cultural industries a 'risky business' for the companies involved?
The cultural industry company is reliant on other cultural industry companies to make audiences aware of the existence of a new product or of the uses and pleasure that they might get from experiencing the product. Companies cannot completely control the publicity a product will receive, as judgements and reactions of audiences, critics and journalists cannot accurately be predicted.
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 be a form of artistic expression that play an important role as i think films and shows should be created out of the passion for certain genres people have, for example creating crime shows such as Criminal Minds because the producers/directors have a genuine interest in this genre, in addition i believe everyone should be allowed to view certain media products for free in order to be informed, entertained etc. however i also believe media products should be made for profit as they deserve to earn profit for great, creative shows and also need profit in order to pay for production costs, the actors etc.
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 industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits by using stars,sequels and well-known genres. They also use vertical integration (when a media company owns a range of businesses in the same chain of production and distribution) and diversification (When a media company branches out into a different area of the industry) to spread their risk and maximise profit.
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?
I do agree that the way the cultural industries operate does reflect the inequalities and injustices of wider society as most of the time now most media products who either have to have a paid membership for/subscription such as Netflix which certain people can not afford to pay monthly but would love to watch these trending shows everyone is talking about. As well as certain media products don't represent society's diversity and usually present them with stereotypes which are not even true.
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?
The visual effects industry has suffered because of tax incentives. outside economical and political forces.
10) What is commodification?
Commodification is the transforming of objects and services into commodities, it involves producing things not only for use, but also for exchange.
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 do agree as certain media products they present people of different ethnics presented negatively compared to British, white people, for example certain media products presented Megan Markle in such a negative light when she has done nothing wrong.
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.
Hesmondhalgh suggested that the cultural industries have changed due to multiple reasons. One of the most significant developments is digitalisation as the internet and mobile phones have multiplied the ways audience can gain access to cultural content. Another significant development is that Cultural products can now be shared across national borders which increased the adaptation, reinvention and hybridity of genres and products. A third significant development is that there has been a huge increase in the amount companies spend on advertising which has helped to fuel the growth of the cultural industries.
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