1. Media control Germany invades Poland discuss referencing Carey and Arendt .
· THe Germans restricted what could be said by the media, as they were state run.
· The media gave a Hegelian outlook on the war in Europe; the idea that Germans had to eliminate everyone so that they would get closer to God or 'divinity.'
· Carey says that the mob or masses becoming literate leads to them being just about able to write and makes them a political force.
· The intellectuals in the case Hitler and the Reich want to eliminate the mob as they are slowing down society’s progress.
· The masses bring about fascism by being manipulated by people like Goering. The masses are aware who they are voting into power and allow themselves to be manipulated as they are incompetent and need to be directed.
· Carey says the use of art and literature being too difficult for the mob to understand keeps them at bay but if they can write they have the ability to overthrow the hierarchy. Nietzsche wants to keep the masses controlled and illiterate so they have no power or political influence.
· The media In Germany and USSR would never report any losses of battles but often tell the complete opposite to boost morale. Furthermore this kept the mob in check and ensured that even their thoughts about things were controlled by the state; independent thinking was not allowed. On the other hand countries like Great Britain had free media that in some casses lobbied against Churchill resulting in the house of commons voting on the confidence they had in Churchill to lead the war effort.
· Totalitarian Rule is rule through fear. The state terrorise society and control everything through the secret police. No one has individual thought at this is controlled by the media. The very few people who oppose the totalitarian rule are murdered or arrested. Stalin and Hitler controlled society through communist and Nazi Regime; each regime used its principle ideas to excuse their behaviour. Communism was exterminating the class struggle and Nazi’s were trying to lessen the decay of society by eliminating the weak. The masses are all as one and nobody has individual freedom or rights; they are part of a nation state in which everything is ruled by one party that can never be opposed.
· No pluralism- tolerance for other races and religions etc.
. Arendt often asserts that anti-semitism had a lot to do with totalitarian rule in Germany, as it gave a common enemy for the government and the mass to hate on. Arendt says the Jews were secularised as they did not belong to a social class and were in control of finances in Germany for a long time. In the time of depression in 1930's Germany they were an easy target.
. Arendt says that the Jews were stripped of all individuality so were almost willing victims with nothing to fight for. This is similar to the way the masses were influenced giving them no indiviual thought asnd making them think they belonged to the nation under Nazism.
2. How does modern state differ from classical or medieval state according to Arendt. Refer Hobbes, Rosseau, JS Mill, Hegel and Marx.
· The modern state has much more control such as the media being a huge weapon in controlling what people think. Medieval states controlled society’s normally though their monarchy such as in England the ‘ divine right of kings’ meant society believed God had chosen them to rule in a teleological society. Modern Nationalist states submit to one ruler in order to protect the country from other countries.
· Hobbes - Without state ruling everything everyone would being trying to kill each other and take each other’s stuff. It would be carnage without state intervention. We must submit ourselves to the government for protection. State of nature would rule without harsh state intervention.
· Rousseau – More liberal thinks there should be a social contract between public and state and they should have limited power. The state should be the only people that can use force but only a little bit. Says state should listen to the general will of the people and anyone who did not want to be free will be forced to be free.
· JS Mill -believes people should be able to do what they want as long as no one else is harmed in any way. Freedom of speech and didn’t believe in censorship.
· Hegel- Believes that Germany or Prussian state is doing the will of God by killing other countries who were not following the prussian states religious views. This will bring Germans closer to God and is the natural way of the world.
· Locke –. Civil rights to property. People should be free and able to say what they want.
· Marx – Doesn’t believe that God exists; state is a tool of oppression to keep lower classes down. Liberal view in that he thinks state should not have total power. Mass culture attempts to eliminate diversity.
3. Analyse Nietchsze and modern literacy movements in journalism, popular culture and the masses.
· Writes in small outbursts like headlines you see on tabloids
· Very incoherent and hard to understand, thinks that the meaning is in the readers mind and that everyone interprets things differently. He makes it up to the reader to decide what is happening.
· Abstract art being interpreted by the viewer is a Nietchsze idea.
· Slogans used in advertising are a Nietchzse thing.
· Phenomenology means that everything and everything that happens is just a phenomena. Nothing has a morality of good or bad it is just happening.
· Amorality is where u are told what you are feeling and what is happening. Modernism says there is no god or spirits but we are just here and nobody knows why.
· Modern journalism is centered on telling the acts and not moralising what has happened and only saying it how it is. Also eye grabbing headlines in short outbursts.
. Modernism is centred around a scientific out look rather than religious in previous years, Nietzsche approaches things obejectively looking at facts and objects.
4. Explain the fascination for intellectuals and some journalists of the film citizen Kane.
· William R Hearst is Careys theory in action, a semi-literate member of the masses gaining power through literacy.
· Kane wants power and nothing is every enough for him
· Hearsts yellow journalism was the first of its kind, with short bursts of headlines and often exaggerated stories about crime to make people want to read. And using competitions.
· The idea of finding a story then standing it up comes from Hearst
· Hearst came from nothing as part of the masses but became literate and rich through skill as a businessman. He then informs the masses about the intellectuals through his paper which in turn gives them political power. Carey predicted this could happen if people become literate.
· Freud would attribute his actions to never being accepted by his mum as he was up for adoption at a young age. Also in the film Kane is unable to obtain rosebud so tries to obtain every material possession to make up for it. The analysis of dreams – Freud.
· Hearst shows a conflict between is real self that should never be shown and the mask he uses to be fake and appear strong and powerful. This conflict between real and fake makes you go crazy.
5. Asses Freud on the media from Page 3 to BBC and from to cosmopolitan Jerry Springer
· Shows Like Super nanny have been influenced by Freud’s child physcology
· Freud’s idea that everyone is fascinated with sex is reflected in advertising; everything is made to be sexy and revolves around sex, very fashionable.
· Feminism and ‘dear Deirdre’ columns influenced by Freud.
· The idea behind page three was that men weren’t breast fed as children in the 40’s and 50’s so they would be fascinated by breasts on page three!
· Shows like Jerry Springer where the super ego takes over and acts without thinking.
. Freuds theory of personality being shaped by parents rejection can apply to Kane who was given up by his parents,although it was a chance for him to have a better life. Kane (and Hearsts) apetite to always have more could be interpreted as Freuds need for approval from parents.
