Cambridge A-Level Sociology: Media Ownership, Control and the New Media — Practice Questions (9699)

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — Cambridge International holds copyright in its own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available through your school or Cambridge directly.

Related: Media ownership and control revision notes

These questions cover Cambridge International A Level Sociology (9699) Paper 4, heading 9 Ownership and control of media (9.1, 9.2 and 9.3). Each Paper 4 essay is worth 35 marks and must explore contrasting views; the warm-up questions test the key concepts first.

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Warm-up questions

W1. Define cross-media ownership. [2]

W2. Identify three news values. [3]

W3. Explain the difference between the instrumental Marxist and hegemonic (neo-Marxist) views of the media. [4]

W4. What is meant by agenda setting? [2]

Warm-up answers

• W1. When one company owns different types of media, such as newspapers, television channels and online platforms. 1 mark for “owning several media”, 2 for specifying different types.
• W2. Any three from Galtung and Ruge (1965) and later work: negativity, unexpectedness, reference to elite persons or nations, proximity, personalisation, threshold (size), continuity.
• W3. Instrumental Marxists (Miliband, 1969; Herman and Chomsky, 1988) argue owners deliberately use the media to spread ruling-class ideology. Neo-Marxists (Glasgow University Media Group; Hall) argue ruling-class ideas dominate through hegemony — journalists’ shared, common-sense assumptions — without direct orders. 2 marks each.
• W4. The media’s power to influence which issues the public thinks are important, by choosing what to cover and how prominently (McCombs and Shaw, 1972).

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Essay 1 (9.1)

“The traditional media has been undermined by the growth of the new media.” Evaluate this view. [35]

Indicative content

For:

• Declining newspaper sales and scheduled TV audiences; advertising revenue moving to online platforms.
• User-generated content and citizen journalism break the professional monopoly on news.
• Digitalisation and convergence (Jenkins, 2006) mean audiences access content on demand from many sources.

Against:

• Traditional organisations have moved online and remain among the most trusted and most shared sources.
• New media firms are themselves conglomerates; concentration has moved rather than disappeared (Bagdikian’s concern about consolidation applies to the platforms).
• Television and radio remain important for older and poorer audiences, and in many countries.

Evaluation: distinguish between the business model of traditional media (clearly weakened) and its influence (arguably still strong); judge across different societies.

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Essay 2 (9.2)

“Pluralist theory provides the best explanation of media content.” Evaluate this view. [35]

Indicative content

Pluralist case: many outlets compete; owners must satisfy audiences; journalists value professional independence; regulation and public-service broadcasting ensure balance; new media add further diversity.

Marxist critique: Miliband (1969); Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model — ownership, advertising, official sourcing, flak and ideology filter news.

Neo-Marxist critique: Glasgow University Media Group’s Bad News (1976) — consistent framing of industrial disputes from management’s viewpoint, explained by hegemony.

Postmodern view: Baudrillard — hyperreality; fragmented audiences make “control” less meaningful.

Other influences: news values, deadlines, sources, censorship — compatible with more than one theory.

Evaluation: pluralism explains diversity of choice but not concentration of ownership; reach a judgement on which theory explains most evidence.

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Essay 3 (9.2)

“The media has a significant influence on the political process.” Evaluate this view. [35]

Indicative content

• For: agenda setting (McCombs and Shaw’s 1968 election study, published 1972); framing and bias in news reporting; publication of opinion polls creating bandwagon effects; targeted online political advertising and data use (Cambridge Analytica, 2018); censorship of opposition voices in some states.
• Against: audiences interpret messages actively (link to uses and gratifications in heading 10); voters’ class, family and community ties shape views; regulation of election coverage in many countries; media may follow rather than lead public opinion.
• Evaluation: influence may be stronger on what people think about than what they think; stronger where media are concentrated or state-controlled.

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Essay 4 (9.3)

“The new media is a challenge to existing power structures.” Evaluate this view. [35]

Indicative content

Digital optimist case: citizen journalism and leaks expose abuses; social media helped organise protest during the Arab Spring (2010–2011); Castells (1996) on network power; Jenkins (2006) on participatory culture.

Digital pessimist case: Morozov’s The Net Delusion (2011) — authoritarian states use the internet for surveillance and propaganda; Zuboff (2019) — surveillance capitalism concentrates power in technology corporations; Pariser (2011) — filter bubbles fragment publics; Keen (2007) — amateur content undermines expertise.

Identity and relationships: new media allow marginalised groups to build communities (boyd, 2014), but may weaken intimacy (Turkle, 2011).

Evaluation: power may be shifting from old elites to new corporate ones rather than to citizens; outcomes vary between democratic and authoritarian states.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I use the same theories in Essays 2 and 4? Yes. Marxist and pluralist views both apply to new media; show how each interprets platform ownership and user power.

How do I get top-band marks? Sustain evaluation throughout, use accurate named evidence, apply examples from more than one society and reach a reasoned conclusion.

Should I include the 1965 news values study in every answer? Only where it helps — it is most useful for questions about selection and presentation of news.

Related pages: media ownership and control study guide | Paper 4 practice questions