Page 251 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

0 | Med a and the Cr s s of Values

the well-informed citizenry on whom a legitimate democracy depends, and
(b) entertainment, whose social impact should not be underestimated. Media
conglomeration has led to the replacement of independent bookstores by the
giant bookstore chains, the presence of only one major newspaper in most met-
ropolitan areas, the automation of local radio stations, and the prominence of
blockbuster movies over smaller studio or independent films. While this might
be seen as simply another case of survival of the fittest in the corporate media
jungles, other critics point to the elimination of the competitive incentive and
other benefits inherent in capitalist business practices and the homogenization
of media consumers.
Meanwhile, the phenomenon of globalization provokes new questions of
human values. The worldwide dominance of the Hollywood film industry and
the American music industry, for example, raises the specter of corporate
and cultural imperialism. The convergence of media messages, the partnership
of political and corporate elites, and the “echo effect” of the same corporate-
driven messages being delivered worldwide threaten to drown out or margin-
alize alternative voices. (See “Cultural Imperialism and Hybridity” for specific
examples of such “media imperialism.”)

aEsThETiC vaLuEs
The media are rightfully evaluated in terms of the quality of their artistic ele-
ments. Critical reviews are issued and awards are given for almost every genre
of mass communication. Pulitzer Prizes are bestowed annually on newspaper
writers and photographers as well as theatrical presentations; National Book
Awards are given to works of both fiction and nonfiction. Academy Awards
are given to films, Emmy Awards to television productions, Peabody Awards to
radio and television programming, and Grammy Awards to achievements in an
ever-expanding list of sound-recording categories. All such awards represent
critical judgment of artistic achievement in various mass media. Some would
maintain that, in considering a work of art, aesthetic qualities such as verbal
eloquence, visual composition, or dramatic or musical skill must be considered
as paramount in this area even if, in some cases, the judgment that is rendered
may conflict with other values. Is nudity in a film (American Beauty) or in a live
performance (Hair), obscene language in a novel (James Joyce’s Ulysses or Toni
Morrison’s Beloved ), or violence on a television show (The Sopranos) essential
to the artistic integrity of the material in question? Can a musical performance
that is considered by many to encourage antisocial behavior or encourage ste-
reotypes (such as rap music) still be acknowledged as artistically valid and even
praiseworthy for aesthetic reasons? Should the sexual display or the religious
imagery of Madonna’s performances be defended as exercises in artistic license,
or can there be legitimate concern that such artistic expression is a degrada-
tion of moral standards or a mockery of religion? May ethnic slurs or demean-
ing images of racial groups be allowed as free expression, or should they be
treated as hate speech and therefore liable to judgments beyond the boundaries
of aesthetic norms?