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Medias influence on politics
Medias influence on politics
Medias influence on politics
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Introduction
Information technology has played a crucial role in the development of the radio industry. Technological advancement has brought about the diversification of the programme format of radio broadcast in late 1960s and the subsequent internet broadcast in 1994 (RTHK, 2008). With the improvements in the broadcasting and communication technology, new programme format, such as phone-in programme, emerged in the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) in 1969. In later years, the advancement of information technology has facilitated the establishment of RTHK website and applications for online programme broadcast and review.
In the following paragraphs, the degree of self-censorship and government propaganda in RTHK will be discussed by analysing some phone-in programmes and online programme review before and after 1997 handover.
Findings
Phone-in programme
The first phone-in programme, called ‘Express Your Thoughts on Phone’ (電話說心聲), aired in 1969 (RTHK, 2008). In the early development of phone-in programmes, they mainly focused on providing governmental information to the public, and helping listeners to solve their problems in daily lives (Chin, 2009). As a government funded organization, RTHK was tasked to build up a friendly image of government officials through phone-in programmes, providing a platform for them to chat with radio listeners (Chin, 2009).
However, the situation had changed when the Chinese and British leaders started to discuss the future of Hong Kong in 1982. Hong Kong people no longer only cared about their daily lives, but also became more aware of the future of Hong Kong. The content of the phone-in programmes involved more political topics, with some listeners criticizing the colonial governmen...
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... Retrieved from http://rthk.hk/about/80book.htm
3. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service. (2014). Average number of broadcast hours for radio public opinion call-in talk programs (RTHK only). Retrieved from http://www.socialindicators.org.hk/en/indicators/political_participation/2.7
4. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service. (2014). Number of radio public opinion call-in talk programs (RTHK only) Retrieved from http://www.socialindicators.org.hk/en/indicators/political_participation/2.6
5. 鄧忍光指改革為培訓新人 立會討論港台烽煙節目換將. (2011, 13 December). Sing Tao Daily. Retrieved from http://libwisesearch.wisers.net.eproxy2.lib.hku.hk/wortal/tool.do;jsessionid=346DBCCBD58E69F64FF674AE3B21FED0.wise25?wp_dispatch=confirm-view&federated=true&doc-ids=news:242f^201112130030033(S:152813542)&menu-id=&on-what=selected&from-list&display-style=all&tooldisplay=true¤tsubdb=wisesearch
Cheung, Sidney. "Hong Kong Handover." 1997. The Journal of the International Institute, Michigan Publishing, 5, 1 (1997). Cited 30 March 2014. available from http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.4750978.0005.107
“Constructing Canada: Do we need a public broadcaster to enhance democracy?” written by David Taras, a professor at the University of Calgary and director of Alberta Global Forum. Taras reinstates the turning point of Canada Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and their relationship with the Canadian parliament. He addressed on the developments and struggles Public Service Broadcasters (PSB), specifically CBC, encounter in order to continue to telecast. Lastly, he explains that PSB has a major role in maintaining the balance of power between the government and the mass media. PSB were created by the public for the public because a democracy can only happen if everyone cooperates.
conflict, the leaders of these two nations have been communicating with each other. Overall, talks have not been very successful, for conflicts still exist. The coverage of their communications by the media has been mixed. The level of objectivity and quality of content are not consistent. For detailed and unbiased information about China-Tibet talks, long articles from focused writers are better than reports from magazines and newspapers, which cover a wide range of news.
“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear." -- Harry S Truman
Before 1997, Hong Kong was being the colony of the United Kingdom, politics in Hong Kong is different from the mainland China and it is unique from other countries. After 1997, the sovereignty of Hong Kong is regressed to China, then the Hong Kong politics was under the foundation of ‘One Country Two systems’ and it is regulated by the Basic Law of Hong Kong.
Rutherford, Paul. “Radio Programming.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation, 16 Dec. 2013. Web. 8 June 2014. .
Government and media influencing each other is a tender ethical situation. Initially, it seems simply appalling that any government would either censor or use its media as a tool, but considering the possible benefits of such acts makes the issue more complex. What if censorship saves lives? What if manipulating the media brings a resolution to a conflict?
Evidently, there is no positive relationship between economic development and censorship. Violating citizen 's right to freedom of information under the disguise of economic growth is just another excuse of dictatorship. It is true that economic growth can be attained with censorship or non-democratically, as it has been the case in China. However, democracy also produces a healthy economic development, as it has been the case in the western countries, like the U.S. Clearly, this shows that there can be economic development regardless of creating a censored society or not. However, economic progress will only be sustainable with an open society who has the freedom to access information. Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, during his visit to China,
When daytime talk show programs first appeared on television in the 1950s, they mostly consisted of celebrities gathered around a coffee table discussing secrets about trivial things, such as how to make the best sponge cake. It is unlikely that these shows promoted positive changes in the lives of their viewers in any substantial way. In the early 1970s, Phil Donahue introduced a new variety of talk show. His show was characterized as "an exercise in sociopolitical discourse," but was, in actuality, more successful for its coverage of titillating issues than important ones (Moorti sc 2-3).
Censorship is described an act in which the government monitor, bans, or restricts information from the media and public. The purpose of censorship is to protect national security and help the government control what goes on in society. According to a report, in totalitarian countries, there were 66 journalists killed, 1044 journalists arrested, 199 bloggers and netizens arrested and 62 bloggers and netizens physically attacked for expressing their freedoms online in 2011 (Reporters without borders, 2011). These rates seem to increase as time progresses. Censorship is used in our daily lives in media, social networks, and other communication sources. Many countries uses a form of censorship including the United States and China. In comparison to the United States, censorship in China such as the restrictions of information from the public in media and schools are more strict and has a stronger effect on the people’s development, education, and communication.
The presence of media bias in the Thai news coverage of Thailand’s current political situation and the inaccurate biased media portrayal of this crisis in western countries due to their lack of knowledge towards Thai culture and history along with the impact of this media bias on public opinions causes numerous problems among the Thai population as well as among foreign journalists.
The government should not control the content of television shows and limit the amount of weekly violence shown. The responsibility of controlling the viewing of television shows expressing acts of violence should specifically be in the hands of parents. Parents are becoming too reliant upon governmental provisions with respect to raising their children and television violence is becoming an excuse for criminal acts. Children, especially younger children, are impressionable, but with proper guidance from a parental source in regards to television viewing, kids are not likely to act out violent television images.
Hong Kong has always remained a very unique city, one which is said to have ‘a Western past, an Eastern future’. Since its colonisation by the British in the 1860s, it has maintained to a very large extent its Chinese identity and its connection to its Motherland, while at the same time, has frequent contact with the Western world, politically, economically, and culturally. Hong Kong’s unique position has made the city a vibrant international metropolis that acts as a bridge between East and West. Yet after it was returned to China in 1997, this former British colony has been constantly reassessing its British past, struggling to find its new position and redefining its identity.
The Hidden Relationship Between Government and Media Rather than being a neutral conduit for the communication of information, the U.S. media plays an intricate role in shaping and controlling political opinions. Media is extremely powerful in the sense that without an adequate functioning media, it is virtually impossible for a sophisticated social structure like the U.S. Government to exist. Henceforth, all known sophisticated social structures, have always been dependent upon the media’s ability to socialize. The U.S. government generally exploits the media, often times manipulating the enormous power of the printed word. Ultimately empowering the U.S. government, strengthening it with the ability to determine and control the popular perception of reality.
Media Censorship Today there is much controversy over whether there should or shouldn’t be censorship of the media. Censorship should not be imposed on citizens by the government or other agencies; adults have a right to view or listen to what they choose. Additionally, if children’s media is censored, parents are the ones who should monitor and regulate it. Parents should be the ones to monitor children’s viewing of television and also what they hear on the radio, CD’s, and tapes.