What are the arguments and possibly evidence against the advertising industry being part of the Ideological State Apparatus (ISA)?
Marxism & Althusser
Althusser identified the 'Ideological State Apparatus' as, "the method by which organizations propagate ideology". In short, it is how institutions in society reinforce power structures. Manipulation without using force. In contrast to a 'Repressive State Apparatus', the ISA allows willing as opposed to forced compliance from the subjects.
From what I could gather from the lecture, Marx proposes that society structure is split into two levels: the base and the superstructure. The base relates to the productive element of society e.g. the tools/skills required to be productive and the relations that allow production to occur such as employer/employee. The superstructure being the institutions that control and enforce production. These institutions can include the army, the police, the NHS and any other institutions that force compliance. Some countries enforce National Service. If you break a law, you will be punished in the hope that you will behave as the 'superstructure' wants you to. Similarly if you need an injection to stop you dying, the NHS will perform it, regardless of if you'd prefer them not to. You are forced to comply.
The Press, News Corporation & Advertising
Comparitively to the opinions of others in the class, I initially disagreed in that advertising does not fall under either bracket. I understand that people don't willingly comply with advertising. I understand that the 5000 pieces of advertising that city-dwellers are exposed to each day doesn't make them dip into their pockets 5000 times. But surely, the purpose of advertising is to 'sell' your product, service or event and in turn, manipulate someone's behaviour. If someone decides to buy Cornflakes because they think it is a better start to morning than Weetabix, then they have willingly complied with Cornflakes' proposition and call to action. So in this sense, I do think that advertising can be seen as part of the ISA. It is only when I look at the views of individuals such as Herbert Marcuse that I differ in opinion. He states that, 'products indoctrinate and manipulate; they promote a false consciousness which is immune against its falsehood ... It becomes a way of life.'
Rupert Murdoch of News Corp is prime example of a position which holds a significant amount of influence over much of the media we receive. In the run up to the last general election, Murdoch's position allowed him to exert a massive editorial swing towards a conservative government in each of his papers. The worrying capabilities of his power over the general public triggered a response by Trevor Beattie and those at BMB, who created a viral campaign for the Independent to spread awareness of just how much of an influence Murdoch could have. With regard to the ISA, Beattie used his position in the advertising industry to warn the wider public, which I suppose demonstrates how advertising can be viewed as part of the ISA. More recently, leaked footage of Vince Cable declaring media warfare on Murdoch over a bid for Sky. The public realise that Cable's comment is justified. If Murdoch wins a bid for Sky, his excessive media ownership becomes yet more powerful, yet Cable has received endless amounts of bad press over his comments. Why? Unsurprisingly, each paper containing the bad coverage of Cable is owned by Murdoch.
Williamson & Semiology
Semiology, puts simply, is the study of signs. It offers 'a very full box of analytical tools for taking an image apart and tracing how it works in relation to broader systems of meaning'. With regard to advertising, Williamson (1978) claims that, '...advertisments are ubiquitous and thus appear autonomous'. This view is shared by Goldman, 'Ads saturate our lives'. Both use semiology as a method that can help them penetrate the aparent autonomy and reality of adverts. Judging by these opinions, it's clear that some people believe advertising holds a very prominent and influential position in the media. Williamson also argues that advertising restructures society. '...in the false categories invoked by advertising, to obscure the real structure of society by replacing class with the distinctions made by the consumption of goods. Thus, instead of being identified by what they produce, people are made to identify themselves by what they consume'.
