Cultural effects model
- therefore our common-sense (hegemonic) views of the world are socially constructed by the media
- The dominant class use media messages to reinforce their class position yet these messages are actively interpreted (polysemic) by audiences in differing ways
- Yet!! Philo (2008) of the GMG is critical of the view media texts are polysemic
- He accepts audiences are active and sometimes critical of media reports but the dominance of media reports are such that people accept media accounts of world events unless they have an alternative
- Philo examined media reports of 1985 miners strike and found even those members of the audience who were sympathetic to the miners still went along with the preferred reading of the news reports
- It’s worth noting since Philo’s explanation there’s been a growth of new media reports which do provide an alternative world view
Problems (evaluation) with cultural effects model
- Since Philo’s explanation there’s been a growth of new media reports which do provide an alternative world view
- It fails to appreciate the diversity of journalists views, along with journalists independence from newspaper owners
- Klapper suggests the audience can filter out ideologies but long-term secondary socialisation by the media prevents the audience recognising when they’re being duped
sociologytwynham.com 
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