Commercial Media! Lecture 6

 This weeks lecture was all about commercial media. We are bombarded with commercial media almost everyday. Whether it be some newspapers, TV channels with our favourite shows.. channel 7, channel ten, channel 9, even to the digital channels such as GO, 7Mate, 7Two, Eleven, One etcccc. All these channels which are meant to benefit us are actually putting more cash into THEIR pocket. It is purely to draw more of the audience to the advertisements, consequently to the businesses. Billboards on streets, some radio stations, magazines etc are all full of commercials to attract us to these businesses.

"Affluence and consumerism are not bad, but they are not enough. We need more. We need values, and meaning. Historically, this has been the role of the content makers. They cannot fulfil this purpose if they are entirely subsumed into the business of media, if their sole purpose is to 'monetarise audiences."

(Quote from The Content Makers: Understanding the Media in Australia)

So what exactly is commercial media?

As explained by our lecturer, commercial media is profit-driven media production which isn't government-funded, it solely depends on business success, its purpose is to create and attract audiences in order to be able to advertise to them... What sly people!

The major players of commercial media are News limited, Fairfax media, APN, Nine entertainment co., WIN corporation, Southern Cross Broadcasting, 7 West Media, Channel Ten, with other contenders being Telstra, Optus, Austar and Macquarie.

These media producers do a lot more then what we know. Each produce a large variety of media in order to create it's audience. This includes newspapers, cable TV, film, sports, magazines and books, radio, outdoor advertising, digital media, events, telecoms and the list goes on. All of which target different age groups in order to allow for more people to be exposed to the advertisements.

So what is the form and function of commercial media?

The form of commercial media is subscription, sponsored and subsidised. The function however, is propaganda, commercial and social.

But here is the million dollar question:

Can commercial media deliver on both profit and social functions? Or has it become to much about making the money to be any real benefit to us?

I believe it can't. It has to focus on one or the other, and at the moment, money, has become the major priority. So what is the true price of good genuine and quality media!

"Commercial = corrupt; lack of quality, profit over-rides social responsibility." -John McManus


So what impact has all this profit-motivated media had on what media we are getting?

- Dumbing down
-Tabloidisation
- What people often refer to as 'Mickey Mouse' news.


Media needs to find a balance between profit and delivering quality media. Would people pay more for good quality? Is that the secret weapon to a win-win situation?

Aim of media:

-Make a profit so they can continue to run
- Create and deliver good quality and extensive news

Can it be achieved? Or will one always have to suffer at expense of the other?

I guess we'll just have to keep waiting and see!