What is ideology in media studies?

• A. A technical standard for color grading
• B. The audience's preferences
• C. A system of beliefs shaping power relations
• D. The revenue model of media companies

Answer: (C)

Ideology in media studies refers to the system of beliefs and values that shape how power is distributed in society and how media texts help justify or challenge that distribution. It’s about the ideas people hold about social life, and how those ideas are embedded in and reinforced by what we see in news, films, ads, and other media. Media scholars examine how representations encode assumptions about gender, class, race, authority, and more, often presenting the existing social order as natural or normal while offering space for critique.

That’s why this is the best description: it captures the way beliefs and power relations are interwoven in media, not just production details, audience preferences, or business aspects. The other options describe things outside ideology—production standards, individual tastes, or economic models—so they don’t explain how media texts shape and reflect social power.