Understanding Media Hegemony: Influence on Cultural Norms

This essay delves into the concept of media hegemony, examining how media institutions, production practices, distribution methods, and ideological performances collectively shape societal norms and values. It highlights the consensual nature of hegemony, distinguishing it from mere manipulation, and emphasizes its role in establishing leadership by representing the interests of a majority. The essay discusses how corporate media hegemony, particularly through Hollywood's influence, impacts global film industries and audiences. It also addresses the role of government assistance and political rewards in reinforcing media hegemony. Furthermore, it explores cultural colonization through regional and national media enterprises, concluding that media hegemony, whether global or local, occurs when leadership effectively represents the needs and interests of society by producing and distributing widely accepted messages.

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Media Hegemony
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Media hegemony arises when a given economic-political structure of media as an
institution and the combined production, the distribution as well as the ideological performs
and become leads. The main ingredient of any hegemony is agreement and hegemony cannot
be reduced to manipulation and domination (Watson & Hill, 2015.p201). Hegemony shows
consensual relationship amongst the groups or certain classes where one of the sectors leads
and represents the other group. Allied group and some classes receive the material, cultural,
political welfares as they seem to be in hegemonic connection. Hegemonic front-runners
thrive in a part since the other means appears undesirable, untenable and unachievable to the
most supporters and certain followers (Yacoumis, 201, p.123)
According to Artz, p.34 (2012), media is seen as the combination and also technology
coordination, distribution practices, production, the social context of reception, regulatory
structures that always organise the main forms. All through the history of media developed
and the use, production practices and variety of technology (Housley, 2016, p.12). The media
hegemony communicates relation and certain practices of a given system of media production
its distribution and use. Occasionally one technology system dominates the so-called mass
communication system but its culture and social use are dependent on the control and the use
of technology (Artz, 2012, p.67).
Media hegemony utters the relations and the use and the emerging issues, for
example, Hollywood movies which are studio dominated celebrity star-driven imaged and
scripted, mass marketed for profits from the audience income. Corporate media hegemony
characterises current global radio and television practices and structures. Media hegemony
has its position in the world of the film industry (Watson & Hill, 2015.p201). From the Indian
Bollywood, Korea and also upcoming Chinese cinemas, Latin European movies and the
filmmakers all over the world copy Hollywood models and the public audiences often see it

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better to watch Hollywood movies whether it is dramatic thriller movies, action movies or
romantic movies (McLaren, 2013, pp. 12-17).
Some nation states and the government assistance are helping the promotion of the
television and radio media that are not regulated, privatised and made commercial. The
government works always reflects forced arming of hegemony, just like international
financiers agencies often make the policies of developing any nation in need on monetary
support or trade agreements (Guerrero & Ramirez, 2014, p. 12)
The political return likewise makes an impact on private media that advertises
plentifully. The political rewards also are very crucial to private media owners who sets some
of the national agendas by regulating the flow within the broadcasting area (Yacoumis, 201,
p.123) The cultural advantage accruing to the private media is more difficult to concretize
although some of the private media are well set to influence the social communication in a
highly arbitrated society. The media scholars have given substantial evidence that the
information and media entertainment impacts very heavily impact the cultural norms, beliefs
and values (Artz & Kamalipour,2012, pp. 213-215)
In conclusion, cultural colonization is being listed by the enrolment of regional and
national media enterprises which has taken and refined to meet all the culture choices. Media
hegemony whether global or local, democratic or corporate and participatory media
hegemony only occurs when any leadership represents the needs and the interest of majority
by producing and distributing as well as the messages that are accepted by subordinate groups
as well as representing the needs and the interests of the society.

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References
Artz, L. and Kamalipour, Y.R. eds., 2012. Globalization of Corporate Media Hegemony,
The: Evaluating California's Imprisonment Crisis. SUNY Press.
Artz, L., 2015. Global entertainment media: A critical introduction. John Wiley & Sons.
Guerrero, M. and Márquez-Ramírez, M. eds., 2014. Media systems and communication
policies in Latin America. Springer.
Housley, W., 2016. Media, policy and interaction. Routledge.
McLaren, P., 2018. Revolutionary Multiculturalism: Pedagogies of dissent for the new
millennium. Routledge.
Watson, J. and Hill, A., 2015. Dictionary of media and communication studies. Bloomsbury
Publishing USA.
Yacoumis, P., 2018. Making progress? Reproducing hegemony through discourses of
“sustainable development” in the Australian news media. Environmental
Communication, 12(6), pp.840-853.