Treating communication problems as technical faults masks a political choice favoring dominant elites

Evidence

The skewed structure of public access to the media. Access and visibility in the media exhibit a clearly defined social structure. The media favors power groups, accredited elite witnesses, institutional spokesmen, experts, as against “out-groups”—the socially dispossessed or disorganized, the deviant, ethnic minorities, working-class groups, etc. When the latter groups appear they systematically tend to have their problems defined for them . They are always carefully “balanced out.” — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 851 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Even if society were like an organism, there would be some controlling element, some centralized brain in the body, some region and group that would collect the power necessary to direct the nerves of communication and the arteries of transportation. There would be no trans- formation of the great society into the great community by way of disinter- ested technology but only in terms of the ways in which knowledge and culture were monopolized by particular groups. — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 599 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Of all the areas or subareas within communications, that of the mass media has proved to be the most fiercely resistant to adequate theoretical formulation—indeed, even to systematic discussion. The concepts and methods, which, if inadequate, are at least unembarrassing, when applied to interpersonal communication prove hapless and even a little silly when applied to the mass media. — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 334 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Frame cultural-policy choices as technical rather than political serves dominant elites; Media access structurally favors elites against out-groups whose problems get defined for them — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 851; Mass media resists the theoretical models that work for interpersonal communication — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 334 (+5 more)

Related

• Media access structurally favors elites against out-groups whose problems get defined for them (similarity 0.91)
• Media access is skewed toward powerful groups who define issues. (similarity 0.83)
• Mass media resists the theoretical models that work for interpersonal communication (similarity 0.81)
• Media ideology works through unspoken absences, not just what is said (similarity 0.81)
• Media ideology becomes most visible when politically organized out-groups demand access (similarity 0.80)
• Monopolies in communication media inevitably disrupt society through rapid dissemination. (similarity 0.79)
• Broadcast communication between elites and audiences is systematically distorted by structure (similarity 0.78)
• Communication technology serves group monopolies of knowledge, not community (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Media access structurally favors elites against out-groups whose problems get defined for them #corroborates (0.70) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 851
• Communication technology serves group monopolies of knowledge, not community #corroborates (0.65) — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 599
• Mass media resists the theoretical models that work for interpersonal communication #corroborates (0.60) — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 334