Toward Better Mass Media Environment - Essay Example

Instruction: Discuss the nature of the distinct contributions made by government, media owners, and journalists to Canada’s media environment. Be sure to discuss how each of these three factors contributes and interacts with the others to form Canada’s media environment. Interaction of Mass Media, Government, Media Owners: Toward Better Mass Media Environment The Canadian mass media is an institution that weaves peoples’ interaction to uphold democratic principles and promote culture whilst practitioners seriously maintain its credibility by adhering to ethical standards in sharing information. It is also managed as strategic business information marketing. These days, Canada Media Directory (2011) listed 1,489 newspapers, 1,878 magazines, 245 television stations, 810 radio stations, 561 interactive websites, 1 alter native advertising media, and 211 registered out-of-home multimedia which is powerfully influencing Canada’s governance. This study will delve how media owners, government and journalists interact to develop Canadian media environment. Interactions of Institutions Decision-makings and communications are central in the processes for socio-political interactions, of exercising democratic governance, policy-direction or setting of social agenda. Everyday, Canadian mass media is providing information and analysis on issues or matters relating to governance, economy, ecology, cultural practices, and other social dynamics to generate public opinion and develop a collective agenda. Setting the agenda is essentially the converging area of mass media, the public and the policymakers. Such agenda may vary depending on dynamics and links. Media’s agenda is predicted by the nature of entertainment, or may use polling agenda or by the level of influence it wage about. Public’s agenda depends on the interest groups and the issue publicly advocated by them. The policy agenda on the other hand, refer to the interest and issues assumed by government authorities and discussed extensively by lawmakers. All these could be represented in varied and integrated agenda analysis (Soroka, 2011, pp.271-273). For instance, on issues on ecological problems, the mass media may use empirical indicators as measures in analyzing issues on forest denudation and imbalances of ecosystem which cost human lives and damages of properties; to persuade the public to make an ecological agenda and motivate the government to adopt measures and environmental protectionism as a policy. Indeed, the dynamics is vibrant and complex, but these interrelationships figure how mass media’s role is considered supportive for social cohesion and development. Media is a powerful industry that bridge people, government, and its agencies through all medium of communication. It reports information on the state of affairs; provide contexts on issues that demand public participation, especially on issues directly affecting them. With factors of globalization threading part of world’s dynamics, regions and social divides are bridged by information technology’s revolution—an instrument which aided virtual convergence. The digitized and IT’s advancement hasten information accessibility at a tip of the finger. Political discourses can be viewed live through cables where issues can now be analyzed 24/7 in every home, in market areas and in commercial zones too. Such auger well to commerce too as products can be hastily introduced to consumers without the facilitation of middlemen, brokers or intermediaries. Media have virtually acted as the seller themselves; the mouthpieces of companies; an instrument to leverage in competition; and the market’s window of opportunities. Media is managed by stockholders through corporate policies and of reporters based on professional code of journalism and of constitutional guarantee. Recent developments in the exercise of these rights are in fact illustrated in some reporters demand for right to information to increase their access from sources, especially from relevant government offices. Journalists are ethically mandated to strictly adhere to canon of conducts which demanded practitioners to be truthful, accurate, objective, impartial, fair and accountable to the public in the exercise of press freedom. Its credibility and its reputation are values that must be cherished. Media therefore have huge responsibilities as content providers, story-tellers of framed realities, and reporters of events and state of affairs (Rowland, Gasher, & Skinner, 2008, p 158). Policy-regulation & Press Freedom Limited But press freedom is not an unlimited right. Foremost, press workers’ mandates are specific that they ought to follow the journalists’ canons as well as some legislated policies that are often crafted as a result of ethical dilemmas. There are also limiting principles that nurture sensitivities to its sources so as not to harm them, such as cases involving children in circumstance or women who were subjected to severe violence or sexual assault. In Canada, policy makers have regulated its telecommunication and broadcasting industries over the use of technology, quality of reports’ contents and about information access. These are illustrated in Telecommunications and Broadcast Acts, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, access-to-information legislation, privacy, copyright, intellectual property rights and other limits to press freedom. Legislators expressed that policies are made to protect the interest of the public to preserve its culture and to break the chain of monopoly in the media industry as the country faced liberalization in the 21st century. Canada lawmakers also regulated its cinema, book or magazine publication, online media e.g. blogs, audio visual and social networking, music recording as well as the news publishing since 1950s to the 70s. Such policies intend to uphold and boost its national heritage, widen public democratic participation, improve media services to the public, respond to the gaps in the media industry, and to balance economic opportunity with socio-cultural and political goals (Rowland, et.al. , 2008, p.150). Publishing companies are mandated to pay income taxes; use intellectual property rights or ownership in the distribution of films (movies), document foreign films shown. State also made a policy which allowed state-based subsidies for cultural programs geared toward global cultural integration and promotion. This is shown in the effort of Cultural Industries Sectoral Advisory Group on International Trade in 1999 as international instruments that seeks to promote and uphold Canada’s cultural diversity. Other regulations include civil laws which seek to address issues on libel, slander, sensationalism, sexism and ethical dilemmas specially issues involving matter of national security or of matters held on strict personal confidentiality. Laws were also made to regulate licensing of companies within this industry. The state meanwhile established the Canadian Television-Radio Commission which perform the regulatory functions of licensing, review mergers in media industry as well as the role of adjudicating cases amongst broadcasters’ program such as (p. 159) the malicious use of discriminatory words attacking gender. Recent developments however, noted the increase participation of policy-makers in the CTRC which broke monopoly of technology providers, increased access of radio and television network nationwide, exercised censorship on programs and advertisements that promote sexism and discrimination, and mandated prioritization of Canadian programs instead programs from US or Europe. In 1980s, Canada established Telefilm Canada’s Broadcast Program Development Fund which encouraged producers to create high-quality TV dramas. It also promotes TV programs that depict the multicultural setting of Canada as a country. Managing Media as a Business Reports or publications are written with taste, slant, certain political tastes and bias. This is because media is a business. Editors would prefer to put on the banner the story that would most sell in the market. The institution is often dealt by white, young, competent media practitioners who can sustain the rigor and pressures of corporate press work. As a business, media as an institution have its vision, mission, corporate goals, nature of media services and distinct values. It is also made some regulations governing corporate industries. It accommodates advertisers, subscribers, political patrons and is often embroiled with business relations that would likely dictate what to report and what not to report. Media as a business had certain economic interest and such influence too in the drafting of editorial control. Adherence to produce quality programs and rigorously marketing to gain leverage in the market remained its business agenda. This way, they are also able to sustain its business operations, achieve goals and are able to provide the salaries and benefits for practitioners too. Conclusion Media is indeed a powerful tool of communication as it influences people and motivate government to act. It can make and unmake reality. It can pressure government to legislate policies or regulations to ensure that quality information will auger its national socio-cultural and political life. While the nation extols press freedom and right to information, it also provided some legal frameworks grounded on political, cultural and social considerations. Although media is a commercial entity, it does not only work for profit but also of public service too. This means that the institution devote programs tackling public issues to address the needs of the public to be informed. As such, it viewed people not as mere consumer of information but also citizens imbued with constitutional guarantee of the right to know and as stakeholders of democracy. While it’s true that there are often conflict of interests arising from the business or commercial side of the news agency, editorials and its stakeholders should balance this by reasserting the code of ethics mandated to journalists. Journalism, as a profession, indeed demand strong adherence to moral standards to maintain reporters’ credibility and trustworthiness albeit conflicting issues. It must maintain credence to be free from suit and liabilities despite internal political and economic pressures. It must live up to the expectation of its stakeholders too. References Rowland, Lorimer; Gasher, Mike; and Skinner, David (2008). Major Influences in Media Functioning. In: Mass Communication in Canada. 6th Ed.  Oxford University Press, United Kingdom.   Rowland, Lorimer; Gasher, Mike; and Skinner, David (2008). Chapter 6: Communications Law and Policies. In: Major Influences in Media Functioning. In: Mass Communication in Canada. 6th Ed.  Oxford University Press, United Kingdom. Rowland, Lorimer; Gasher, Mike; and Skinner, David (2008). The Structure and Role of Ownership. In: Mass Communication in Canada. 6th Ed.  Oxford University Press, United Kingdom. Rowland, Lorimer; Gasher, Mike; and Skinner, David (2008). Journalists as Content Producers. In: Mass Communication in Canada. 6th Ed.  Oxford University Press, United Kingdom. Canada Media Directory (2011) . List of Mass Media in Canada. http://www.canadianmedia.com/media_information.php?id=13 Accessed: July2011. Soroka, Stuart (2001). Issue Attributes and Agenda-Setting by Media, Public, and Policy Makers in Canada. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. World Association for Public Opinion ResearchVolume 14 Number 3, pp. 265- Read More