This lectorial saw a smashing presentation by Brian on institutions. 
INSTITUTIONS:
~ term of sociology
~ concern w/ organising structures of society
~ social, cultural, political and economic relations
~ principles, values, rules that underly these
eg. ‘marriage’ is a social institution.

EXAMPLES OF INSTITUTIONS:
ABC, the news, journalism, Newscorp, cinema, broadcast television, community radio, public service broadcasting, RRR, etc.

There was also an in-class activity that saw the class brainstorm the institutional characteristics of the following organisations: Facebook, Newscorp, Google and Community Media. Done so by prompting questions like:
~ the relationship to audiences/users ?
~ what are their core values?
~ what is their status?
~ how are they more than a business?
~ what other institutions are they related to/engaged/aligned with?

There was also another disciplinary take on institutions (the questions of power):
~ Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
~ interested in the relationship between power and knowledge
~ modern institutions as forms of social control

Hey look, its Michel Foucault: