Understanding key terms 2

Spectacle – spectacle is one of the five key strategies of profit maximization in the media industry. It is something impressive or even shocking presented or performed, and it is connected to celebrities, who are famous people without any real talents. They just drew attention to themselves with their scandals.

Superstructure – superstructure is a term connected to Marxism, which was a theory of the German philosopher and economist Karl Marx. As per Marx, society consists of two parts: 1) the base, which reflects the material condition society, and 2) the superstructure, which is the cultural condition of society encoded in insitutions such as law, education, religion, government, etc.

Synergy – synergy is another strategy of profit maximization. It means that multiple companies cooperate during the production, development, and distribution of a media brand to improve the final outcome.

Objectivity – objectivity is the reporting of facts without judgement or prejudice, not presenting one’s opinion or feelings.

Information bias – information bias is the reporting of the news without staying objective. This affects the validity of the information. It can either be personalization, dramatization, fragmentation, or authority-disorder.

Political bias – political bias is when a news reporter distorts the truth in order to make their political viewpoint more attractive, favorizing their own party. Again, it is presenting something without staying objective. It is basically the ideological slant of a news agency.