A Marxist perspective would argue that the so-called “information revolution” has done little to benefit audiences or to subvert the established power structures in society. Far from being a “great leveller” (Krotoski, 2012) as many have claimed, it has merely helped to reinforce the status quo by promoting dominant ideologies. The most popular news website in the UK by a considerable margin is the ‘Mail Online’, which receives more than 8 million hits every month and is continuing to expand rapidly – with forecasts that it will make £100 million or more in digital revenues in the next three years. Similar to its tabloid print edition, the website takes a Conservative, right-wing perspective on key issues around gender, sexuality and race and audiences appear to passively accept what the Marxist theorist, Gramsci, called a hegemonic view. When one of their chief columnists, Jan Moir, wrote a homophobic article about the death of Stephen Gately in 2009 there were Twitter and Facebook protests but, ultimately, they did not change the editorial direction of the gatekeepers controlling the newspaper.

A pluralist would argue that the audience have a lot of power when it comes down to being powerful in terms of consumption and production. Audiences are now entitled to 'conform, accommodate or reject what they want to watch according to Gurevitch. Also, looking at Katz and Blumers theory of users and gratification, the audiences can watch what they want to watch. Meaning if the audiences didn't appreciate what was being shown on television, they can 'reject' and the programme  is most likely to lose their audience and probably go off air.  Looking at the protest that's taking place in Ferguson for the loss of Mike Brown who was unfairly shot by a police officer, many people are now protesting and going against such a powerful institution. Couple years ago, without citizen journalism, a policeman would've probably gotten away with committing such a thing. However, with the advanced technologies and social sites, the audience can now present their views and not necessarily agree with the important, powerful institution.

It is very apparent that lately, with the technological changes that have appeared, the users feel more dominant and feel like they are able to choose what they want to watch and what they don't want to watch. This takes away the power the news and media had as its now the consumer's choice of what they want to produce. This also refers to Katz and Blumer's theory of the audience watching what they want to watch. Also, another thing that has made the consumers so powerful is arguably, citizen journalism. This is the act of when one who isn't a journalist take pictures or videos that can back the news and which is most likely used later.  The decline in newspaper is also causing the audience to have much more power than they had before. The newspaper is in decline as people can now access news online wherever and through whatever means. This has been causing a great decline in news paper.

The higher institutions such as the police force don't have as much power as they once did. Now, whenever the public feel as if powerful institutions are going against what they should do, the public makes protests and such like the tragic story of Mike Brown. He was shot as he was telling the police officer 'I cant breath.' Due to this tragic event, most people around the world are making protests and complaining, this is undermining the police force and such. There are hash tags that relate to him all of twitter.