Current Debates about the Factors Shaping the Selection and Production of News - Literature review Example

Number: Current debates about the factors shaping the selection and production of news The media play a significant role in shaping, amplifying and responding to public attitudes across wide ranging issues. In democratic societies, the mass media are the leading channels of communication to the masses of citizens across the country and the world at large. The masses heavily rely on the news media as the key source of information, which becomes the foundation of forming their opinions and other decisions. This is in accordance to the cultural selection theory that presumes that any choice of the message has a profound impact on the members of society. This critical review seeks to establish the current forces that govern the selection and production of news. Some of the current issues that have attracted a heated debate in the British mass media are the increased focus on poverty and misery, crime and social ills in the heath sector (Couldry, et al 2010). The increase in the number of rivals in the United Kingdom media market has resulted in fierce battles for attention from television viewers, newspaper readers and radio listeners. In the wake of increased internet coverage in many places, competition increases as the social media also occupies a pivotal role of informing the general public. The social media have become a firsthand source of information, resulting in intense rivalry with the traditional media like newspapers. Therefore, the media are fighting for attention of the public since their life is at stake. In their endeavor to survive in such a saturated and competitive market, the media is more and more venturing into other tactics like entertainment, instilling fear through crime reportage and mongering news on scandals (Curran & Seaton, 2009). Such news is always under researched and uninformed as media houses survival tactics. The current selection of news criteria is no longer on ideologies; the media seek to increase viewership and readership for their opinions on entertainment value. Media experts express their views on the power that the media has on people’s attitudes. People have a tendency of reading selectively to what they previously concur with and rationalize their attitudes in the face of divergent arguments. Curran & Seaton (2009) notes that the mass media has little impact to alter people’s attitude on aspects for which, they had previously formed an influential opinion. However, Curran and Seaton note that the media has a insightful impact in setting agendas and priming people on fresh issues. The manner in which an issue is framed determines how it is discussed. The ripple effect is that the discussion causes a social problem that is blamed on. News production usually goes through various steps namely sources and informants, news agents, reporters, news agencies journalists and editors. Due to the inadequacy of resources, many media utilize other media or use opinion leaders in order to make the information chain as long as possible. During this long chain, possibilities of distortion are likely to result, resulting in a substandard reporting to consumers. Different stakeholders affect the production and selection of news. Sources are the root cause of news, and this could be such as companies, individuals and other institutions. Sources have an interest in giving information that present them in a constructive manner and tend to withhold compromising information. This result in compromising news in there is a trade between sources and journalists for illustration, the Daily Mirror British newspaper reporting on crime heavily relies on police for news on crime. The reporting on crime in the 1st May 2013 report on prisoner van attack is dependent on police information. The title is so manipulative reading as “shotgun gang free two prisoners in van attack”. The headline attracts attention, yet the content is not as appealing and informative as the headline sounds. Moreover, the media report positively on the police in order to obtain such information. Sources retaliate by withholding information in the future when they are unhappy with the way they have been portrayed. Editors and journalists governed by the morals and professional ethics in reporting, as well as the fairness principle. The intense rivalry for readership may prompt journalists and editors to move away from professional principles and instead focus on the aspect of newsworthiness (Curran, 2010). Newsworthiness entails presenting news and editorials in a manner they consider the audience will find appealing. The audience is a significant factor in selection and production of news as they are the sole reason why s the media operates. The media have to publish reports that make the audience purchase their newspapers. The British daily mirror uses the newsworthiness concept to attract the attention of the audience by presenting the news on a gang that attacked a van ferrying prisoners to court attracts audience attention. The headline on inspiring mothers who keep hope of a miracle alive attracts the attention of the reader. After a careful reading of the story, the author presents a challenge as to whether women who lose their children and fight on can be regarded as extra ordinary. The British daily mirror seeks present exceptional and emotionally touching stories that readers can identify with. Some topics like sex scandals and danger resort readers accord the significant attention to the paper. Some news like crime and catastrophe are essentially significant, but the media have been under the spotlight for publishing much information on with regards to bad news as opposed to good news. Sad and bad news may not be always pertinent, but they are given preference by the media. For illustration, the story on the mentally ill person who reused the nurses to take his stools and finally took his life is an illustration on the bad news reporting by the British daily mirror (Curran, 2010). It is easier for the media to report on horrific stories on of crimes that happened in far way places, which report on easily recognizable dangers such as drunk driving. Personality is another determinant factor determining the production and selection of news. In this aspect, the media uses the all-encompassing psychological factor to capture the attention of the audience through personal identification. For instance, in the entertainment front, the media presents a conflict that may arise as an individual scuffle involving musicians, as opposed to a scuffle involving ideologies. Bromley & O’Malley (1997) highlight that that journalists present a crime story as being touching when susceptible victims express their anger and grief. This is well illustrated by the story of 2nd May 2013 in the British daily mirror, where the desperate parents of the missing daughter are interviewed ITV as they met the British prime minister David Cameron. The two are presented as susceptible and suffering following the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine. Currently, it has been acknowledged that low level property crimes make up the majority of the reported crime, while the corporate offenses and white collar crimes that result in financial and social burden to society are afforded little attention and/ or ignored altogether. The reporting on violent crime has also attracted debate with regards to selectivity used by the media in reporting such crimes. Curran, (2010) notes that, the news media representations stress on the criminal oppression of strangers as opposed to hazardous intimacies of domestic and family scuffles. Franklin (2009) asserts that violence in the media is constructed as random and intentional. Couldry, et al (2010) highlights that reporting of crime and other particular types of crime on which editors and journalists unequally centre on is selective and illusory. In the reporting of crime, victims receive unequal attention in the news media. In other instances, media coverage is dedicated to sufferers who might be discredited. Sometimes media resources are distributed to the representation of ideal sufferers. Fidler (1997) describes ideal victims as people who are offered the legal status of being victims once hit by crime. Most ideal victims are considered as defenseless, susceptible and worthy of sympathy such as women and young children. Media owners and shareholders are also pivotal forces in determining the selection and production of news. Owners of media houses and shareholders may have political interests that shape their choices and decisions. Franklin, (2009) notes that media owners are watching on the need for professionalism and usually prefer their media house to be neutral in order to have a large viewership and readership. Franklin notes that the modern trend in business proprietorship allows for diversification, thus, media owners also own other businesses that are different from production of news. Therefore, media owners increasingly opt to prevent their media businesses from being cynical with regards to other forms that they possess. Promoters and advertisers are also influential people in determining how news are selected and distributed. Majority of newspaper obtains their earnings from advertisement revenues. Curran & Gurevitch (1991) holds that an advertiser largely influences the production of news. Eldridge (1993) report that advertisers influences selection and production through sanctions especially in media that disparage their goods. For illustration, it may be intricate for newspapers to have a column that discusses on the ills of smoking if the newspaper carries tobacco advertisement. Majority of advertisers are afraid of compromising programs, not unless the program covers their market segment. Bromley& O’Malley, (1997) note that the news media present entertaining news and less trivial news whenever there is stiff competition between media houses. Other programs like political discourse are ignored at the expensed of attractive and newsworthy news in order to gain a large number of viewership and readership. Other factors that influence selection and distribution include financial aspects. The reason is that money is essential to keep the news companies running. For illustration, a media house that ensures professionalism and honest criticism of company’s faults may not receive many advertisements, compared to another media that praise the products of such companies. The media house that honestly criticizes companies’ acts and products may end up having economic problems as such companies will prefer the media that worship them for advertisement. Therefore, the economic need in the contemporary world will play a significant part in the selection and production of news. In conclusion, the current debate on the factors shaping the selection and distribution of news revolves around numerous issues. Some actors in the media industry play a significant role in the selection and production process. One of the actors is the audience, who are the recipient of the news. Media houses strive to present news that attracts the attention of the audience in a bid to enhance the viewership, as well as the readership. The source of the news also shapes the kind of news to be produced, as most sources presents themselves in a positive light, and tend to withhold the negative attributes that may be essential. Reporters and editors also influence on the kind of news to be produced. Other actors in the media arena, whose role influences the selection and distribution of news, are such as owners, shareholders, advertisers and the financial forces. References B.Franklin (2009) The Future of Newspapers, London: Routledge. Couldry, N. et al (2010) Media Consumption and Public Engagement: beyond the presumption of attention. NY: Palgrave Macmillan Curran, J. & Seaton, J. (2009) Power Without Responsibility: press, broadcasting and the Internet in Britain, 7th Ed., London, Routledge. Curran, J. (ed) (2010) Media and Society. 5th edn. London: Edward Arnold. Curran J. & Gurevitch M. (eds), (1991), Mass Media and Society, London: Edward Arnold. Eldridge, J. (1993) Getting the Message, London: Routledge. Fidler, R. (1997) Mediamorphosis: Understanding New Media, California: Pine Forge Press. Franklin, B. (1997) Newszak & News Media, London: Arnold. Beattle, J. (2013) £543M COST OF BOTCHED TORY NHS REFORMS. British Daily mirror 27 February 2013 pg 2. Bromley, M. & O’Malley, T. (1997) A Journalism Reader, London: Routledge Bryne, P. (2013) Nurses left suicide man with a noose. British Daily mirror 27 February 2013 pg 6. Fricker, M. (2013) PLEASE DON’T FORGET ABOUT MADDY. British Daily mirror Thursday 02 May 2013 pg 33. Greer, C., (nd) news media, victims and crime. Accessed on 14 May 2013 Moodie C. (2013) I’ll be the judge. British Daily mirror 27 February 2013 pg 11. White, S. (2013) shotgun gang free two prisoners in van attack. British Daily mirror Thursday 02 May 2013, pg 10. Read More