Some people believe that having different people owning parts of the media eg. different newspaper companies is good as it is a sign of a healthy democracy
This is a pluralist view
However, other people believe that too much power can be held in the hands of a few wealthy people and they have too much control
Marxists believe that the mass media is owned by the elite group in society (the 'ruling classes') who control the way people think and act
Advertising in the media eg. in newspapers, gives wealthy business owners that can pay for advertising space have more and bigger influence over the media content
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Bias
In Britain, the mass media is often biased and influenced by politicians and people in positions of power
The mass media are frequently biased in favour of powerful groups or individuals
The owners of the media decide the direction of a policy eg. the political party their newspaper supports
They then employ staff to make day-to-day decisions about content
Sociologists call these people gatekeepers
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Politicians often try to control the media by spin
This means attempting to manage and control the message that the media puts out as news
They manage the media's message to influence the way that events are reported
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