Journalism, Mass Media and Communication - Essay Example

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication Framing is one tool used by journalists to sell their findings to the public. As the article asserts, framing involves presenting a complex message in a way that it can meet the demands of the consumer. The alteration of information specifically scientific findings has led to many people changing their perception on issues raised science and technology. The framing of the research findings by scientists often results in confusion. For instance, the framing of genetic foods as bad to control food chain and provision of facts by scientists about genetic modification confuse consumers (Salleh, 2009). Such confusion may make consumers withdraw their trust in scientists. Although framing enhances communication, it is apparent it hypes the scientists’ research. For instance, the reframing of food biotechnology as the right quest to address to eradicate food hunger oversimplifies the complex problem associated with scarcity of food. Such alteration of facts through frames jeopardizes public trust in science. In other words, the framing of scientific research can make the claim that there is a lack of truth in the underlying science. From the information provided above, we can affirm that framing can impair with the scientific research since some scientists may frame their findings so that they can have a significant number of consumers. Thus, scientists need to avoid tools of public relations such as frames and air their views in public debates to secure their trust in people. Use of public relation tools will shift the way people think about their responsibilities to the society. In addition to this, framing can change the way people think about science and technology (Salleh, 2009).
It is possible for media to reassert its independence. Some of the things that can contribute to this include avoiding taking advantage of frames. Framing is often associated with working on another person’s work to generate the same information in a new version. Doing away with this practice require journalists to be independent in generating their information. It is through the independence of journalists and persons who feed the media that the media will be regarded independent. Independent media is often free of influence or other people’s interests. According to this article, a good amount of the information fed to be people is influenced by their demands. Most people including the journalists have the tendency of altering certain information to please the consumers. Such practice is a portrayal of a lack of media independence. Control of such practices by providing actual information to the people without any alteration can enable media reasserts its independence. According to this article, diversification can also aid media assert its independence (Salleh, 2009). This is in tandem with the fact that availability of many resources can diversify professionals such as professional science journalists. The increase of such professional diversity can result in many scientists being trained about framing science that will reduce problems associated with framing.
As it was introduced above, media independence is affected by the participation of scientists in framing. Scientists need to be restricted from deciding on how their findings should reach the people. In other words, researchers need to be banned from putting their frames to the public directly (Salleh, 2009). They need to forward their findings to independent professional science journalists who will then frame their research. Observance of this will significantly contribute to media reasserting its independence.
Reference
Salleh, A. (2009). Scientists Risk Becoming PR Hacks. ABC Science. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/07/03/2613817.htm#.Ua7F3uugw7U Read More