DED

In the media journalists are a watchdog for the public for what happens in government and its institutions. It gives people an opportunity to voice their opinion on those in power, yet gives those in power a stage in which they can release their views. Media is run by those in power and in the media, power necessarily means wealth. At the moment there are approximately 1000 television channels broadcasting in the UK and here we rely on our British news to inform us of what is happening in our country. But are we hearing what we need to know, or the favoured topics of media owner?

The BBC is very unique to the UK as it has no primary owners. The BBC use TV licenses to cover their funding, which is provided by the general public. The only rule in which the BBC choose to follow is to inform, entertain and educate their audience. The BBC appoints trustees which are appointed by the Queen to level all viewers’ opinions. You can read the detail in the BBC Trust report (BBC Trust, 2013). Walters tells us in his article that the BBC reflects a good balance in informing their readers, as well as keeping a balance of public control (Walters, 1989, P380). As the BBC is owned by the public, I believe the BBC broadcasts a balanced view of the news. Their only aim is to inform, entertain and educate the reader, which is their only influence on the news in which is broadcasted.

Information now is easily accessible to anyone whether it is just a Google search or a flick through a social media site, news is a lot easier to reach today (Allan, 2010, P9). Social media sites also provide an opportunity for the general public to express their opinions and views, with no restrictions. Sometimes the news can be distorted by views, and often the t...

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.... I think what we see and hear on the news is the opinion of those who have wealth and power within the industry. However, the BBC is a good representation of how the news can be fair and equal. The BBC is not run by a media owner, which therefore provides a fair account of the news. However, news that is reported for example from News Corp could provide a very distorted version of the news, driven by business agendas. Today with social media on the uprise, the discussion of news between the public is slowly growing. The new media provides a platform in which the public can share and discuss news without distortion. Sometimes the news is taken over by almost a popularity contest, resulting in newspapers reporting false stories. We can hardly judge the public for not believing journalists, when some news provided to them is either false, or disguised by their views.