The Concentration of Media Ownership - Case Study Example

Media Ownership Issues and the Relationship of Media and the Public All forms of mass media have the goal to provide the news to people that serves public interest. Therefore, the best idea that should come out speaking of the news and information is the term we could call as participatory journalism wherein media organisations are responsible to provide news for the public and the public in response should be involved with what media has presented to them. Media and market need to have a two way relationship, wherein both will share and interact to discuss about the news. The news should not just stop when the media presented it, but the other concern should also reserve the feedback from the public. An author about journalism said, “Audiences are not blank sheets of paper on which media messages can be written; members of an audience will have prior attitudes and beliefs which will determine how effective media messages are.” (Abercrombie 1996, p.140) This is the consideration that media organisations should always consider. These words suggest that audience needs to be interactive when it comes to media presentations. The ways by which media treats the audience is a communication process and audiences participation is vital (Hart, A., 1991). It only appears that media organisation can not be independent to the public. Without the public as the market there is no essence of running or producing any story as a news or entertainment item. That is why audience should be given of great importances which are sometimes or oftentimes disregarded because of the concentration of media ownership. Critics raise the argument that concentration of media ownership and the dominance of media conglomerate lead to the doubt of the objectivity and truthfulness of the information that will reach the audiences or readers. Media ownership matters since media companies may tend to protect their own interest or the interest of their advertisers (Wikipedia, n.d.). This will hinder them to reveal the real issues to the public. They may not produce a story about a particular information or opinion that on one way or the other beneficial for the public to know. There are even cases wherein reporters are fired because of producing a story about a particular product that happened to be the advertiser of a media network. This is evident in the case of Jane Akre and Steve Wilson who after their desire to provide the public information about the potential health effect of Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH or rBST), are demanded by the Fox TV Station management to alter the script in favor of Monsanto, the producer of BGH (Cummins R., 2006). BGH is one of the key advertisers of Fox. Another issue about media ownership is raised by Goodman, when large media network supported U.S. in waging war against Iraq. They criticized that the media never do to really cover what is really happening in war, and tend to show only a one-sided opinion about Bush declaration on having war against Iraq. Goodman and Goodman stressed that media did not show the true image of war. They show themselves interviewing soldiers who are about to go to war, but never interviewed those people in their house who are so much anxious about future disasters that would happen to them. That is the reason why a lot of people have supported the war than to dislike it. So we can see the important role of responsible journalism and broadcasting that media should play. Deliberation of news and information is essential in shaping public opinion that is productive for the society. Therefore the main concern is public interest and not just the interest of the company. Too much commercialisation should be set aside as to provide news that supports and benefit the public. Rokeach & Cantor (1986, p. 200) said: “The audience, regardless of the medium, has not been historically passive or inconsequential in shaping its participation in, or the content of, popular media.” So it is really an issue once the concentration of media ownership affects proper and responsible deliberation of the news. Journalistic views, information and diversity of opinion is of great importance and voicing it for the public should not be in any way be suppressed by media companies or conglomerates. It is a two way relationship that should exist between media organisations and market and this should uphold in bringing the real content of the news. Surrounding Issues for Journalist and Sources of Information The main goal in delivering the news is to adhere with the rule that every news and information that will be delivered is factual, objective and true. In this respect, sources of news and surrounding issues should be of great significance. The Society of Professional Journalist (SPJ, 2006) provided a code of ethics that every journalist should follow in delivering the news (See Appendix I). Each of these rules highlights on how journalist should deliver news, disseminate information, being mindful of the source and think of public concern in doing their job. Good journalism revolves in the ideal of reporting news in the highest quality and distributing it on time in service to the public. The preamble of the to SPJ’s Code of Ethics states that: “…the duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking the truth and providing fair and comprehensive account of events and issues…” Thus the main role of every journalist is to deliver the news with an authoritative or credible source. Every journalist is responsible to always identify the sources of information to prove reliability of the report. It is an issue that they should avoid plagiarism. Their integrity should be on the news that they are going to deliver and it should not be affected because of the money or profits that anybody or any company would offer. Another concern of the journalist is to be knowledgeable that every report that they might produce regarding an issue, person or particular product could be libelous or a form of slander. One example is the famous case filed against Oprah Winfrey when she gave a remark that she would not be eating beef because of mad cow disease. In response a product libel has been brought about to the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1998 by the Texas feed yard owners blaming Winfrey for their decrease in beef sales. Winfrey however won the suit. Accuracy of the report and attribution are considerations (See Appendix I, Minimize Harm). Journalist should always put in mind that every source should be treated with respect, and wrong attribution about it would not be serving the mere purpose of good reporting. This might also affect the perception of the public distorting the truth. As outlined by Gillis, T. and Moore, R. (2003)they said that, “The goal of community journalism and the goal of the journalist in this process, is consciousness raising. What that means is, to help bring to light information or issues that may be important to the citizens.” Therefore recklessness of handling information and inaccuracies is a hindrance to responsible journalism and might pollute people’s perception. It is not encouraged. It is not in any manner pollutant should degrade the quality of the news. The role of the journalist is to be extra-careful in telling things and stories that will reach the public. Issues surrounding journalist such as objectivity, sources, plagiarism, libel, accuracy etc. has a strong impact on how the news will be presented to the target market. For example, once a journalist failed to get an authoritative sources might ruin the quality of his work because of incredibility. Another is that if the source would not be checked, the tendency is that to get sources that might present biases regarding a particular event which is not objectivity. Objectivity means to seek for the truth and to report it. Another is, it is given that the audiences wait for what the media will say. Therefore since media and public participate in understanding the news, therefore it is needed to, “…explore all the various viewpoints of an issue, and not to draw a judgment that one person is right or one person is wrong. Instead, this exploration presents a variety of sides of the issue so that the people can be informed about the issue…,” (Gillis, T. and Moore, R., 2003) This speaks of the accuracy of the news. One sided discussions of the issue not showing all the faces of the news tend to stay away to what accurately should be revealed to the public. Journalist checklist should include whether the accuracy of information is maintained or not since any problem regarding accuracy has a strong impact to the kind of news the people will get. The journalist’s role is to seek for the truth and report the truth that the public may benefit by providing accurate accounts of events and issues (Appendix I, Preamble). A journalist should not distort the news, but with his best adhere to his role and keep in touch with the issues that surround him in fulfilling his job. Journalists and Nationalism With the sublime role of the journalist to provide top quality of news for public concern, they often plunge themselves in discussing things with national and nationalistic concern. Being a journalist would not let himself to avoid the fact that a journalist should involve himself to deliver news with nationalistic views. This is not wrong since there is nothing wrong about seeking for the truth and reporting it (Appendix I, Code of Ethics). That is one of the rule that any journalist should follow. According to Schaffer (2001), the media has the role in building the community, and this could be done not only on delivering the two sides of the issues but on the mainstream, to do an in-depth reporting that the public will clearly understand the issues, establishing an interaction between the journalist and the citizen. This interaction improves the communication between the reporter and the market in dealing with particular issues that requires public and civic involvement. Matters of national concerns, most especially such news that involves government or government officials could be a potential subject for journalist to discuss. This helps the public to be always akin with what is happening to the kind of government or officials that rules them. This also encourages the public to understand and critique the policies that the government will implement. However, although journalist may present news in service to the public, news can be easily manipulated by outside factors to distort what the nation should really get. Professional public relations, convert and overt government propaganda are some of the ways by which the government can manage news report to promote a propaganda as a form of news (Shah, A, 2006). It is not impossible, since anyone can pay for a professional public relation to influence people to act the way he will tell and win the negotiation. The government on the other hand can make step of making pre-packaged news and make the public believe that what the media tries to tell is true. Goodman and Goodman (2005) highlights that during the U.S. plan of invasion to Iraq, U.S. government prepared a pre-packaged news for the public in order to show and convince the people about the alleged necessity of invasion. They stressed that what media reporters do during that time, “is well-oiled propaganda machine that is repackaging government spin and passing it off as journalism.” (Goodman and Goodman, 2005). That is the media tried to capture the pro-government face of the news, interviewing more people who are pro-war than getting into consensus more people who really rejects the idea of war. These step somehow provided justification to the plan of having war which Goodman and Goodman (2005) hardly rejects. Another challenge that responsible journalism faces is when officials are involve in corruptions or any misconducts in handling their duties. By then, to avoid controversy, information is not revealed to the public to avoid commotion and judicial investigation. During these cases, Sylvio Waisbord (2001) mentioned a way by which journalist can help. He said that journalism can contribute in monitoring government institutions whenever they fail to conduct their job in making intensive investigations. This will help in understanding whether these institutions can fulfill their constitutional mandate to be responsible enough to face press reports that reveal any corruptions and wrongdoing both in the society and in the government. We could not disregard the tendency that news could be managed, and politically safe materials comes out instead of revealing the real facts of the news. It is not enough to let government institutions independently work for their own when during this cases and media can make their participation in making the truth to appear. Reporters and journalist should play their crucial role in revealing the news that will definitely benefit public concern. It might be a tough job to face a lot of troubles that awaits them in fulfilling their job for the sake of disseminating information. However, it is in the integrity of the journalist that he plays his role in informing the public about the rule of professional journalistic practices. James Carey (1974) argued that it is not enough that the journalist would always apply the traditional approach of the prevalent model in journalism. The prevailing model emphasizes the 5 W’s of the news, however applies only a little of analysis. He said that the prevailing model only highlights “objectivity" and impartial observation; facts related discussions and presentations; and frequent use of officials and experts as sources. It only encourages little analysis, he mentioned, and does not encourage people to interact with what the news said. To solve this, he raised that the journalist should do the part in discussing not only the what, where, when and who of the news. They should also provide an analysis to issues and events discussing about the how and the why of the issue. This is not only getting the officials as the sources but also ordinary local people and their knowledge about the particular situation. This is getting the common people’s sentiments. Within this collaborative process between the journalist and the nation, or the common people, it will be a lot easier for them to provide an explanation on national issues that are merely of great value to the public. This will also help journalist and the public to battle against pre-packaged news that the government or companies with self vested interest may inject as they tend to manage and manipulate the news. REFERENCES: Wikipedia, n.d. Concentration of media ownership. Retrieved August 24, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentration_of_media_ownership Abercrombie, N., 1996. Television and Society. Cambridge: Polity Press Fuller, J., 1997. News Values: Ideas for an Information Age (University of Chicago Press.), 231. Cummins, R. 2006. Monsanto and Fox TV Unite to Suppress Journalists' Free Speech on Hazards of Genetically Engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH or rBST). Retrieved August 24, 2006, from http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/fox.html. Goodman, A. and Goodman, D. 2006, Why Media Ownership Matters? Retrieved August 24, 2006, from http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0403-25.htm. Hart, A.,1991. Understanding the Media: A Practical Guide. London: Routledge Rokeach, S.& Cantor, M., 1986. Media, Audience, and Social Structure. Sage Publications. Code of Ethics, (n.d.). Society of Professional Journalist. Retrieved August 25, 2006, from, http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp? Gillis, T., and Moore, R., 2003. Keeping Your Ears to the Ground:A Journalist's Guide to Citizen Participation in the News:  A Primer on Community Journalism. Elizabethtown College, PA, USA The Polytechnic of Namibia. Schaffer, J., 2001.The Role of the Media in Building Community. Global Issues, April 2001. Retrieved August 25, 2006, from http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itgic/0401/ijge/gj02.htm Waisbord, S., 2001. Why Democracy Needs Investigative Journalism. Retrieved August 25, 2006, from http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itgic/0401/ijge/gj03.htm Carey, J., 1974. Journalism and Criticism: The Case of an Undeveloped Profession," The Review of Politics. APPENDIX I. Society of Professional Journalist, Preamble and Code of Ethics. Preamble Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice. Code of Ethics, Society of Professional Journalist Seek Truth and Report It Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. Journalists should: — Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible. — Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing. — Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability. — Always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises. — Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context. — Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations. — Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it. — Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story — Never plagiarize. — Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so. — Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others. — Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status. — Support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant. — Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid. — Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context. — Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two. — Recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public's business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection. Minimize Harm Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect. Journalists should: — Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects. — Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief. — Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance. — Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy. — Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity. — Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes. — Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges. — Balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed. Act Independently Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know. Journalists should: —Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. — Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility. — Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity. — Disclose unavoidable conflicts. — Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. — Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage. — Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news. Be Accountable Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other. Journalists should: — Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct. — Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media. — Admit mistakes and correct them promptly. — Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media. — Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others Read More