The document discusses key concepts about ideology and how it relates to media. It defines ideology as the set of beliefs or ideas that underpin an institution and influence social relations. Dominant ideologies are those held by ruling or wealthy groups in society and are maintained through hegemony, where the majority accept those values to fit in while minorities stay quiet. The media plays a role in both developing and maintaining dominant ideologies through representations and framing of issues, as well as potentially opposing them by presenting alternatives.

1. Studying the Media
Key Concepts - Ideology

2. What is Ideology?
 Simply put, Ideology is the idea(s) behind the
media text.
 It is the secret (or sometimes not so secret)
agenda of it’s producers.
 It is important to identify different ideological
discourses that are present in an apparently
simple photograph.
 So, ideology is a body of ideas or a set of beliefs
that underpins an institution and leads to social
relations.

3. What is Ideology?
 These sets of beliefs are those held by groups
within society
 The prevalent ones are those held by the ruling/
dominant groups.
 This is usually done by those in a position of
wealth.

4. Dominant ideology or hegemony?
 What is dominant ideology?
 Held by the majority group (Ruling Class)
 Keeps other ideas (Minority) hidden
 Uses hegemony
 What is hegemony?
 Occurs when a majority decide to 'fit in' with the
cultural values and ideas of their time and place
and the minority keep their objections quiet.

5. Dominant ideology or hegemony?
 Dominant ideology Christianity is the main
historical example.
 Think of how many legal systems take Christian
moral values as their basis.
 What about a modern day equivalent?
 Football currently has a hegemonic status in the
UK.
 Glance through the sports pages and see what
coverage other sports get?
 Everyone is expected to understand and accept
its national importance.

6. Hegemony
 Hegemony is not a forced political movement.
 For example, no one is forced to watch/listen
to/read about football.
 It just seems like sometimes there are few
alternatives.
 This is how hegemonies take hold.
 A majority decide to ‘fit in’ with the cultural
values and ideas of their time and place and the
minority keep their objections quiet.
 Hegemony is about constant…Us and Them

7. What part does the media have to
play in developing and maintaining
hegemony?
Institutions, language, news/information, regulating
output, representations, ownership, authorship

8. What part does the media have to play
in opposing/altering the hegemony?
Challenging all of the previous examples by
presenting the alternatives in a positive light.

9. Ideological discourse
 These are the issues/attitudes debated over in
the media which form part of the everyday
ideological discourse in our society.
 The views on these subjects form the basis of our
social rules and practice.
 What subjects do you think are
covered by this?

10. Ideological discourse
 Education
 Feminism
 Employment
 Nationalism/ National Identity
 Gender
 Youth/Age
 Sexuality
 Left/Right Wing Politics
 Racism
 Environmentalism
 Crime and Punishment
 Public/Personal Reality

11. Preferred Reading
 Producers of media text design it with a certain
meaning in mind
 They hope that audiences will decode their text
in a certain way
 Preferred reading are those which tie in with
hegemonic beliefs…
 For example…The idea of beauty and the ‘ideal’
female shape propounded in western
magazines.
 It is accepted as ‘natural’ that models in
magazines should be young and drastically
underweight.

12. Preferred Reading
 Since the 1960’s the preferred reading has been
that these women are beautiful
 However, recently there are signs that the
hegemonic belief has adapted to the concerns
of many that this body shape is actually
unhealthy.
 Preferred reading starts to shift.
 For example. Editors of magazines such as Marie
Claire spoke out about the actors of Ally McBeal
for their overly gaunt appearance.