MIGRAIN: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries

 1) What does the term 'Cultural Industries' actually refer to?

The term "cultural industries" refers to a group of businesses that produce and distribute cultural goods, such as art, media, and entertainment. These industries play a significant role in shaping and reflecting the culture of a society, and often have a strong economic impact. Examples of cultural industries include the film and television industry, the music industry, and the publishing industry.

2) What does Hesmondhalgh identify regarding the societies in which the cultural industries are highly profitable?

Due to their high nature and knowledge-based nature, the cultural industries demand a large workforce, which generates income and jobs.

3) Why do some media products offer ideologies that challenge capitalism or inequalities in society?

Because they are produced by people or groups who may have their own opinions and viewpoints on these topics, media products like movies, television shows, and books frequently present ideologies that criticise capitalism or social injustices. These producers might utilise their media works as a platform to share their thoughts and ideologies with others and to inspire critical thinking about the culture they inhabit. Additionally, media goods can act as a sort of social commentary by highlighting significant topics and igniting conversation among the general public.

4) Look at page 2 of the factsheet. What are the problems that Hesmondhalgh identifies with regards to the cultural industries?

• Risky business

• Creativity versus commerce

• High production costs and low reproduction costs

• Semi-public goods; the need to create scarcity

5) Why are so many cultural industries a 'risky business' for the companies involved?

A cultural sector company depends on other cultural industry companies to inform audiences of a new product's existence or of the benefits and enjoyment they could derive from using it. Companies are unable to fully control the exposure a product will receive since it is impossible to forecast the opinions and responses of audiences, critics, journalists, and others.

6) What is your opinion on the creativity v commerce debate? Should the media be all about profit or are media products a form of artistic expression that play an important role in society?

in my opinion whether the media should be all about profit or not is a matter of debate and personal opinion. Some people believe that the media should prioritize making a profit, as this is how media companies can continue to operate and produce content. Others believe that media products should not be solely driven by profit, but should also serve as a form of artistic expression and have a role in society beyond just making money.

7) How do cultural industry companies minimise their risks and maximise their profits? (Clue: your work on Industries - Ownership and control will help here) 

By having a high percentage of daily cost to variable costs, businesses are able to reduce their risk and increase their profitability. Cultural industries are also able to assure that major blockbusters are extremely profitable.

8) Do you agree that the way the cultural industries operate reflects the inequalities and injustices of wider society? Should the content creators, the creative minds behind media products, be better rewarded for their work?

I believe that those who genuinely come up with the ideas and then work to make them a reality should be compensated for their job because they contributed human labour to the achievement of the goal.

9) Listen and read the transcript to the opening 9 minutes of the Freakonomics podcast - No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects Industry. Why has the visual effects industry suffered despite the huge budgets for most Hollywood movies?
They were unable to survive in the small margin and makes it almost impossible to make profit. 

10) What is commodification? 

Commodification is the process by which something that was previously not considered a commodity, or a good that is bought and sold on the market, is transformed into one. This typically involves treating the thing in question as if it has a value that can be measured in terms of money, and making it available for purchase.

11) Do you agree with the argument that while there are a huge number of media texts created, they fail to reflect the diversity of people or opinion in wider society?

I suppose that those who genuinely come up with the ideas and then work to make them a reality should be compensated for their job because they contributed human labour to the achievement of the goal.

12) How does Hesmondhalgh suggest the cultural industries have changed? Identify the three most significant developments and explain why you think they are the most important.

The'real' economy is no longer viewed as coming in second to the cultural sectors. Some are actually enormous, worldwide corporations. The major cultural firms today operate across a variety of cultural industries, resulting in considerably greater ownership and organisation of those industries (for example, TV, publishing and film). There are several small and medium sized businesses that produce cultural items, despite the fact that these enormous corporations are now intricately interconnected. These businesses are connecting more and more with other sizable and medium-sized cultural industries.