The transition from a welfare state to a neoliberal state, emphasizing a small government to guarantee the maximum profits to the private sector, affected media industries in a big way. They were unable to continue operating as they were in a welfare state where the emphasis was on the government playing a big role in the economic and social well-being of the population. The transition to a neoliberal state resulted in more control of societal affairs in the hands of the private sector. As a result, the media and its effect on society would change correspondingly with the unique demands of the transition.
The media industry was immediately affected because the privately-owned businesses slowly gained control from the government. The transition from a welfare state to a neoliberal state had the effect of loosening government ownership and direct control in the media industries. The established companies that were privately owned would take over the industry and play a role almost similar to that of the government in communicating to the masses. Therefore, the media industry was affected by a sudden influx of privately-owned control that had an influence on the quality and content of the information being released (Steger & Roy, 2010).
The media was also affected by less government control in terms of the regulations that would exist to determine content. In the period during the transition, there were very few regulations for companies in the media industry, and this had a tremendous effect on their impact on society. The media industry experienced a more rigorous period of growth as a result of the strongest regulations that were once regulated by the government. This resulted in the emergence of several other media companies in the transition period looking for the best business opportunities to exploit.
Similarly, the media industry has been affected by the transition from a welfare state to a neoliberal state by the content of the message from the media. The media in the established neoliberal state is used more for entertainment purposes than for educational purposes or communicating government policy. In the neoliberal age. The media is used more for movies, music, and other popular arts relevant to the social scene within a given time This is in stark contrast to the content communicated by the media in a welfare state that mainly comprises of education programs and government policy with minimum attention paid for entertainment purposes.
The media in the neoliberal state is used primarily for business purposes where advertisements are the key income earners for several companies in the media industry. In a welfare state, the media used by the government as an important means of communication, and spreading messages and educational content becomes a priority over business affairs This is the opposite in a neoliberal state where the media was affected by being effectively used as a business tool for a private company (Kotz, 2015). The media was used to enhance notions of free trade to a greater effect than government policy.
The media has also been affected by the transition because, in the neoliberal state, there is less emphasis on promoting intercultural awareness. In a welfare state, the media is effectively used to communicate different aspects of intercultural differences, particularly within the nation, with an aim of promoting intercultural awareness. Similarly, the media has been affected in the neoliberal age through the emergence of social media networking sites that have eased the process of communication. In the welfare state, the communication networks were established by the government where communication within the country is largely dependent on the workings of the government.
References
Kotz, D. (2015). The Rise and Fall of Neoliberal Capitalism. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Steger, M. B. & Roy, R. K. (2010). Neoliberalism: A Very Short Introduction. London: Oxford University Press.
