cultural industries

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

It refers to industries like TV, music, movies, and publishing that create and sell cultural products. It's where creativity meets business.

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

He points out that societies where cultural industries thrive often have big corporations dominating, creating inequalities and focusing more on profit than creativity.

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

Some creators use media to push back against the system, raising awareness about social issues or questioning the status quo.

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

Biggest problems: too much focus on profit, high financial risks, and a tendency to produce repetitive, "safe" content instead of being original.

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

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?

Both matter. Media needs to make money, but it should also tell stories, express ideas, and connect people. It’s about balance, not choosing one over the other.

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

They use strategies like owning everything from production to distribution, relying on proven franchises, and doing market's hard to predict what audiences will like, and creating media (like movies or games) costs a lot. One flop can mean big losses.

et research to know what sells.

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?#

 100% Creators often get underpaid, while corporations profit big. We need better pay and recognition for the people actually making the content.

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?

Studios outsource to cut costs, creating crazy competition and tight deadlines. VFX companies work hard but don’t see much of the money.

10) What is commodification? 

It’s when something creative or cultural gets turned into a product just to make money,  losing its original value.

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?

Yes. Most media still doesn’t represent all voices, focusing on mainstream views or what sells best. We need more diverse creators and stories.

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.

Digital tech (streaming, social media) has changed how we consume media. Globalization means media is now made and shared worldwide. Corporate takeovers make it harder for smaller creators to compete. These changes shape what gets made and who gets heard.