The Media
· an agency, means, or instrument to disseminate information
· defines our shared perceptions of the world, society, and politics
· selects what information is directed to us
· media presents views of an issue
· influences on media coverage
o producers of the news
o sources of the news
o audience for the news
Power and Responsibility of the Media
· investigate wrong doing
· publicize and explain government action
· evaluate programs and politicians
· bring matters to the public attention that might otherwise by hidden by government
· reconcile campaign promises with government action
· media shapes our perceptions of the government through reporting
Media rests upon the First Amendment
· "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press."
o instrumental to a free society
o if people are given full information of their affairs they will exercise sound judgment (Jefferson)
· American media may openly oppose the government
o Near v. Minnesota (1931) extended free press to states
§ "complexity of government and opportunity for corruption increases the need for a vigilant press"
Organization of the Media
· local orientation
o learn about what is around us
· nationalization of the news
o same sets of events, presented in a similar way
§ wire services supply local newspapers with national and international stories
§ cost effective
§ every newspaper can not have a media corespondent in Beijing
· network news
o national program carried by local affiliates
o national newspapers (elite papers influence the influential people)
· national nagazines (Time, Newsweek, US News)
o very similar in coverage
o middle of the road
· nationalization of media contributed to the nationalization of politics
Impact of Private Ownership of Media
· profit motivated
o attract large, diverse audiences
o programming appeals to certain advertisers
o subscribers are consumers of advertising
Preferences of Mass Media
· entertainment
· personalized stories about familiar people
· short, simple stories
Distates of Public
· political stories
· repetition
Media Regulation
· broadcast media is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
o electromagnetic spectrum is publicly owned and it should benefit all
· equal time rule
o broadcasters must provide candidates for the same office an equal opportunity to buy commercial time
· right of rebuttal - individuals must be given time to respond to personal attacks
o Red Lion Broadcasting Company v. FCC
§ upheld right of rebuttal
§ allowed a liberal author an opportunity to respond to an attack by a conservative
§ "the views expressed in the program are not necessarily those of the producers of the program"
· fairness doctrine
o broadcasters were required to air programs with opposing views
o made obsolete in 1985 by FCC
o diversity of media presented different views
In April of 2017, Jorge Ramos gave a TED talk titled, “Why Journalists Have an Obligation to Challenge Power.” Ramos is an immigrant and journalist who introduces the idea that the responsibility and purpose of journalism is to oppose those
Bonila, Denise M., and Levy, Beth, Eds. The Power of the Press. H. W. Wilson, 1999.
The news media rejects the fact that they are biased. They claim that they are the “middle of the road,” and are neutral on the stories that they cover. Publishers also claim that they are the watchdog for the political system, and they make sure that the system is free of any corruption, or wrongdoing. Th...
AuBuchon, D. (2009, April 5). Freedom of Speech and the Fairness Doctrine by:Dennis AuBuchon | American Conservative Daily (c) 2010. American Conservative Daily (C) 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011, from http://www.americanconservativedaily.com/2009/04/freedom-of-speech-and-the-fairness-doctrine-2/
Voices That Must Be Heard! 2003. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the Independent Press Association. 14 September 2003 <http://www.indypressny.org>.
“At MSNBC … 85 percent of airtime is dedicated to commentary — rather than straight news” (as cited in Kiener). The fact that over three fourths of the airtime for a news media source is commentary shows the degradation of trustworthy news reporting. Mainstream news sources are losing their credibility through their slanted reporting and lack of objectivity.
The death of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997 shocked the world; her death was
One way in which government achieves this objective, is by its ability to misuse the media’s ability to set the agenda. Contrary to popular belief, media is in fact an enormous hegemony. In fact, separate independent news organizations do not exist. Rather than creating an independent structured agenda of their own, generally lesser smaller news organizations adapt to a prepared agenda, previously constructed by a higher medium. Based upon this information alone, it is quite apparent that media functions in adherence to the characteristics of a hierarchy.
In seeking out the news, the press therefore acts as an agent of the public at large. It is the means by which people receive that free flow of... ... middle of paper ... ...responses to the receiver."
Americans look to the press to provide the information they need to make informed political choices. How well the press lives up to its responsibility to provide this information has a direct impact upon Americans: how they think about and act upon the issues that confront them.
According to Raja Mujtaba, the author of “Mass media and its influence on society” (2011), nowadays, in this information age, the media truly affects our lives in both good and bad ways depended on the motive and types of media. Each of the types contains difference effects to people in all ages. However, all the impacts have raised awareness and need to know the current information in order to make decisions for their lives. People in different ages and positions will be influenced in distinct ways. Therefore, this essay is a response to Mujtaba’s work on the article above, which I agree with his aspects on the influence on adolescents and violence in media. However, I disagree with his viewpoint on the influence of media on public opinion.
Reading through the essay I felt that Bob Smietana the author was speaking as a reporter. Rather than offering his own opinion he throughout the essay presented opinions from both sides of the arguement.
Media is the most powerful sector of an economy. It is a tool to maintain a balanced society which is characterized by well informed people, effective democracy and social justice. In fact, media has unparallel influence on all aspects of human life in modern times.
“Power is the ability to define reality and to have other people respond to your definition as if it were their own (Nobles).” People fail to see responsible journalism as a crisis because it is so convenient to have news media make up your mind for you. The foundation of our personal philosophies stems from irresponsible journalism through the major news sources we consume, the exposure to less responsible entertainment, and the biased reporting enforcing negative stereotypes.