Table of Contents

• What is Neoliberalism?
• The Media in a Neoliberal Context
• Media Ownership and Concentration
• The Neoliberal Subject and Media Representation
• Neoliberalism and News Production
• The Role of Digital Media in Neoliberal Culture
• Cultural Consequences: Individualization and Depoliticization
• Critiques and Alternatives
• Conclusion

The relationship between media and society is one of the most significant areas of sociological inquiry. Media is not merely a tool for communication; it is a social institution that reflects, shapes, and legitimizes dominant ideologies. In the neoliberal era, media functions have undergone profound transformations, driven by the logic of market rationality, privatization, and commodification. Understanding the neoliberal view of media requires unpacking how media institutions, practices, and discourses are embedded within the broader framework of neoliberal ideology.

This article outlines the sociological foundations of the neoliberal view of media, exploring how neoliberalism has reshaped the media landscape, its implications for democracy, and the consequences for culture and identity. By the end, students should be able to identify key sociological processes that underpin neoliberal media practices and analyze their effects on social life.

What is Neoliberalism?

Neoliberalism can be understood as both an economic and cultural project. It emerged as a response to the crises of post-war welfare capitalism, advocating for deregulation, privatization, and the retreat of the state from social provision. However, neoliberalism is not merely a set of economic policies—it is also an ideology that restructures the way individuals and institutions think, act, and relate to one another.

Core Principles of Neoliberalism

• Market rationality: The belief that market mechanisms are the most efficient and natural way to organize social life.
• Individualism: The promotion of self-interest and entrepreneurial subjectivity as ideal forms of social identity.
• Competition: The view that competition drives innovation and progress, often extended to all social domains, including education, healthcare, and culture.
• State withdrawal: The reduction of the state’s role in welfare, with the private sector seen as the more efficient provider of services.

These principles collectively reconfigure how institutions—including media organizations—operate. In sociological terms, neoliberalism can be viewed as a mode of governance that permeates the everyday through ideology, discourse, and material practice.

The Media in a Neoliberal Context

The media are central agents in the construction and dissemination of neoliberal ideology. As cultural producers, they not only convey information but also produce symbolic meanings that sustain neoliberal norms. In a neoliberal context, media organizations are reimagined as market actors rather than public institutions serving collective interests.

From Public Service to Market Commodity

In earlier welfare-state models, especially in Europe, media institutions were often structured around principles of public service broadcasting. The aim was to inform, educate, and entertain, reflecting the diversity of social life. With neoliberalism, this ethos was gradually replaced by commercial imperatives. Media outlets increasingly depend on advertising revenue and ratings rather than civic responsibility. Consequently, the primary function of media shifted from serving the public good to maximizing profit and shareholder value.

This process aligns with what sociologists describe as the commodification of culture—the transformation of cultural goods, including news and entertainment, into marketable commodities. Media messages are tailored to attract consumer attention rather than foster informed citizenship.

Media Ownership and Concentration

A defining feature of the neoliberal media landscape is the concentration of ownership. Deregulation policies, justified by appeals to efficiency and competition, have allowed a few multinational corporations to dominate global media production. This concentration has significant sociological implications:

• Reduction in diversity: A smaller number of owners means fewer perspectives and narratives represented in the media.
• Corporate control of ideology: Owners exert influence over the framing of issues, reinforcing neoliberal worldviews.
• Global cultural homogenization: The export of media products from dominant economies spreads neoliberal consumer culture worldwide.

These trends are emblematic of what critical sociologists refer to as the political economy of media—the study of how economic structures shape cultural production and ideological content. Under neoliberalism, the political economy of media increasingly reflects corporate interests rather than democratic values.

The Neoliberal Subject and Media Representation

One of neoliberalism’s most pervasive effects is the redefinition of subjectivity. Media play a crucial role in this process by promoting ideals of the entrepreneurial self—a subject who is autonomous, self-responsible, and constantly optimizing their value. Reality television, lifestyle programs, and social media all valorize individuals who “brand” themselves, turning personal life into an enterprise.

The Rise of the Entrepreneurial Self

The neoliberal subject is portrayed as:

• Self-reliant: Success or failure is individualized, detached from structural inequalities.
• Flexible: Adapting continuously to changing market conditions.
• Consumptive: Identity is expressed through consumption rather than collective affiliation.

Media representations naturalize these traits, obscuring the systemic constraints—such as class, race, and gender—that shape real opportunities. Thus, neoliberal media contribute to a form of ideological mystification, where structural power relations are rendered invisible.

Neoliberalism and News Production