Chapter 5

This chapter revolved around the significant of ideology and how it relates with social theory. The reading goes into much detail about the concepts of ideology, dominant ideology, hegemony and disclosure. The reading also showed how multiple types of media can challenge pre existing public disclosure using references such as what an “audience” and what they believe in. The main points that were focused on were on Ideology, as dominant ideology. “Dominant Ideology, means a wider range of ideologies that potentially may exist within media content”. The first concept of ideology arose with Karl Marx, and then came along John Thompson’s, who attempted to save the meaning behind ideology. From this reading, many people had opinions on their ideas of what ideology is and how it affects people’s perceptions of mass media.
The role that the mass media plays in challenging unequal relationships of power are expressed though the reproduction of ideology and how it has always been a problem especially with media studies. A quote that stuck out to me was, Our main challenge is to considered how ordinary, everyday media context performs an ideological power is exercised in telling stories about power relationships”(152).
A main theory that was expressed throughout the reading was John B. Thompson’s, Ideology and Modern Culture. This contribution has helped to understand ideology, and the mass media’s role in the production and the reproduction of ideology. His work, expresses that, “our” thinking about ideology should be refocused on the interrelations of meaning and power and especially on how meaning serves to maintain relations of domination”. Thompson’s uses the term dominant ideology to express the meaning of unequal power relations and the implications that go with it. His works talks a lot about the importance of “ideology analysis”. The term intertwines with the ideas of media and communication studies.
Ideology is an important term as it relates to the belief of both social theory and media analysis. This begins to test all areas of mass media. Through this, ideology begins to taken form in the context of the media. The main challenge is that it appears to be ordinary; it takes on a role of telling stories and creating power within relationships.
Also another main point that the chapter goes into detail about, is Ideology: our approach. I felt like it was a part within the chapter that was important. It goes into detail about how we are interested in examining interrelationships of meaning and the power that it gives off. The mass media plays large role with the circulations of ideologies. Mass media organizations connect with ideologies because there is so much that co insides with ideas and thoughts which are created by the communication industry.