Censorship and Active Audiences - Report Example

Censorship and Active Audiences Name: Institution: Course: Date: Censorship and Active Audiences Introduction The major role of the media is to seek platform upon which they can acquire and disseminate information to their audience. In the process of disseminating information, a media institution such as the CNN has the responsbility of filtering the information they receive and assess the extent to which such information promotes the creation and maintenance of active audiences. In situations where the information is considered derogatory or to some extent abusive to the intended audience, CNN as an established media institution has the legal rights of censoring that information. The main objective of this essay is engage in comparative analysis of active audiences and censorship with reference to CNN. Active audiences and censorship Active audiences Active audiences comprise audiences who are actively engaged in a form of media. This group of audiences do not just accept and message generated from the media instead they are engaged in initiatives to try to verify the validity of the information they receive. This means that an active audience will always question the information they receive, this will be followed by the development of their own opinion of the information based on their family background, level of education, life experiences, and cultural influence (Brooker and Jermyn 2003). During the Brussels terrorist attack in 2016, CNN was involved in promotion of active audiences through the provision of portals upon which the audiences could give their opinions and comments. The role of the CNN was to recognize that their audiences have the right to receive information and provide their perspectives. For the audiences requesting for additional information or those criticizing the information received, CNN had the responsbility of acting as the neutral provider of information. The process of building or promoting active audiences requires a media institution to embrace neutrality and impartiality while providing information. This is often aimed at limiting the possibility of conflicts arising amongst members because of the information received. CNN is an international media institution that derives its support from different audiences on the global platform. This makes it important for the institution to ensure that while delivering information on a controversial matter such as terrorism, it must be careful to act as the neutral party. In the process of acting as the neutral party, CNN has the responsbility of ensuring that the information delivered tote audience is valid and verifiable. This is a technique of limiting the possibility of misunderstanding and the development of some form of blame game among the active audiences (Brooker and Jermyn 2003). The concept of active audiences is derived from the understanding that the media has a role in the cultivation of a rights consciousness among citizens in a country. This means that the media has the responsbility of communicating to the audiences the right information and provide a technique of assessing the extent to which the information provided is aligned to their rights (Ang 1996). For instance, when President Trump assented to the law that banned citizens from countries such as Somalia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria among others from entering the United States, the CNN as an advocate of the rights of the citizens provided its audience with a platform where they could address the situations ion from a legal perspective. The CNN was considered effective when it invited experts to engage the audience in discussions on the legality of the law proposed by President Trump. Active audiences from this approach provides a technique through which audiences from derived from varied political fronts can be engaged in discussions on the possible solutions to existing societal problems. It is possible to assess active audiences from the uses and gratifications theory, which seeks to provide an understanding on how and why different individuals seek out to a specific media to satisfy specific needs. This theory focuses on what audiences do with the media. This school of thought considers audience as active because they will deliberately choose media channels or institution that will satisfy their needs and allow them to engage in knowledge enhancement, social interaction, and diversion. The theory assumes that members of the audience are not passive consumers of information form the media (Branston & Stafford 2003). Instead, they have power over the media considering that they have the ability of playing an active role in the interpretation, and integration of the media into their personal lives. According to this theory, different media institutions compete against other sources of information with the objective of providing their audiences with the intended gratification. The CNN when analyzed from the perspective of uses and gratification theory can be perceived as a media institution that provides varieties of platforms for disseminating information. The media institution plays a role in the promotion of active audiences by integrating its news channels with different social networking platforms. The objective of such integration is to provide the audience with a platform of freely expressing their opinion and concern on different news areas. These platforms also provide CNN with techniques of collecting news items from their audiences in different parts of the world. The audiences in this perspective are considered as active audiences because they not only participate in criticizing or analyzing news items but also provide news items to the news channels. The development and promotion of active audiences is also based on the understanding that media institutions such as the CNN provided appropriate public spaces for the articulation of alternative political, economic, and socio-cultural discourses. This is often aimed at asserting that the concept of citizenship can no longer be perceived as a formal and institutional given, but as a concept of flexibility and fluidity which is founded on the subjective and spatial positions of the individuals in question. The media from this approach plays the role of decentralizing citizenship through active audiences. The participation of these audiences in petitions, online discussions, and protest plays a role in shaping public opinion, checking the powers of the existing authority, and challenging the political agenda of the government. Active audience is therefore a media empowerment approach for different groups in the society for whom participation in the circulation of media information on political, economic, and socio-cultural issues is equivalent to exercising their citizenship (Abercrombie & Longhurst 1998). Censorship Inasmuch as the concept of active audiences is essential in ensuring that media institutions play a role in providing their audiences with a platform for articulating their ideas on different social issues, there is need to ensure that he information they provide does not interfere with the rights of other members of the society or contravene the law (Melville 2009). Censorship focuses on drawing boundaries on the type of information that a media channel or institution can provide to the public. The most common reason for censorship of news items is that they are deemed too subjective, sexually explicit. This means that despite the freedom of the press in disseminating information they have a constitutional obligation of ensuring that their news items do not act as platforms that generate anger or spur violence (Bryant & Zillmann 2002). Media institutions such as CNN have the responsbility of engaging experts to ensure that their news items are tailor made to deliver valid and verifiable information with limited or no effects on the existing peace or stability in the society. for example during the Brussels terrorist attack in 2016, the CNN, being one of the most reputable news channels that attracts a global audience, had the responsbility of reporting events related to the attack. From the findings of the criminal investigation department, the terrorist attacker had an association with the Islamic States (IS), a jihadist terrorist group in Syria. This group and the attackers professed Islamic faith. To ensure that it did not generalize that all those who profess Islamic faith had an association with terrorism; CNN through its experts censored any information that could lead to the development of such perspectives among its audiences. Through this approach to dissemination of information, CNN was aimed at enhancing and promoting the existing peace in nation populated by individuals who profess different faiths. Media institutions also have the responsbility of delivery to their audience information that is considered true. For reputable media institutions such as the CNN, they can fail to broadcast information that contains deceits or falsity by censoring the institution that is providing the news. In early 2016, CNN through its management decided not to engage in live broadcast of press statements from the United States White house Press secretary. The decision by the CNN was to monitor and then report the news. This act of censorship was based on the understanding that CNN attracts different groups of audiences who prefer to have their information shaped for then through the elimination ad disputing of inconvenient facts before the audiences can have the opportunity of analyzing the information for themselves. The process of censoring information that is deemed to be false especially when it touches of political, economic or socio-cultural issues is to minimize the possibility of engaging in propaganda or be involved in broadcasting news items that meet their narrative endangers (Glanville 2011). Censorship in media institutions against certain news item or censorship laws introduced by the government against media institutions are often aimed at promoting ethical values in the process of reporting or delivering news items to the audience. For media institutions such as CNN, the decision to censor information is to ensure that journalist act in accordance with the laws that define their practice. In addition, through such an approach it becomes possible for different media institution to establish a reputation among the audience. The choice of the media institution to derive information from is often dependent on the trust relationships that it establishes with the audience. Audiences will only engage certain media channels based on the values that define their operations (Maryniak 2009). Inasmuch as censorship laws introduced by the government can be perceived as denying media the freedom of dissemination information to their audiences, it is important to understand this approach from the perspective of maintaining law and order in the society (Glanville 2011). The process of creating and promoting active audiences is based on the perception of the media as a platform where individuals can express their concern and petition laws developed by the government. However, through censorship this freedom is regulated because of the constitutional obligation to enhance liberty and responsible citizenship. Government in different countries control the activities of the media as a way of ensuring that they operate in accordance with the objective of maintaining law and order (Collini 2011). Censorship in the media takes varieties of forms and affects the eventual news items that audiences receive. When media institutions receive news items, they engage their experts in lengthy editing instances where numerous choices are made in the design to ensure that certain types of information do not become public. In some situations, these decisions are made with the objective of safeguarding individual privacy, while others are aimed at protecting the media channel from the possibility of closure or litigations because of contravening the law of protection the reputation of the media house (Melville 2009). The protection of an individual’s privacy can be considered as one the least controversial forms of censorship of the media. For instance in situations where minors are involved in crime, media institutions can decide to censor their identities as a technique of protecting them from future harm (Collini 2011). Media institution such as CNN often conceal the identity of rape victims so that they do not have to ensure public humiliation. Conclusion Media institutions play a role in the promotion of active audiences by integrating their news channels with different social networking platforms. Through such integration these institutions provide the audience with a platform of freely expressing their opinion and concern on different news areas. These platforms also provide media institutions with techniques of collecting news items from their audiences in different parts of the world. The audiences in this perspective are considered as active audiences because they not only participate in criticizing or analyzing news items but also provide news items to the news channels. Despite the freedom, media institutions also have the responsbility of delivery to their audience information that is considered true. Censorship in media institutions against certain news item or censorship laws introduced by the government against media institutions promote ethical values in the process of reporting or delivering news items to the audience. For media institutions the decision to censor information is to ensure that journalist act in accordance with the laws that define their practice. References Abercrombie, N. and Longhurst, B 1998, Audiences: A Sociological Theory of Performance and Imagination. London: Sage Ang, I1996, Living Room Wars: Rethinking Media Audiences for a Postmodern World. London: Routledge Branston, G. & Stafford, R 2003, ‘Audiences’ in The Media Student’s Book pp 148-170 Brooker, W. and Jermyn, D. eds 2003, The Audience Studies Reader. London: Routledge Bryant, J. & Zillmann, D. (eds.) 2002, Media Effects, London: LEA Collini, S 2011, 'That's Offensive!’: criticism, identity, respect University of Chicago Press Glanville, J 2011, The Net Effect: the limits of digital freedom, London: Sage Maryniak, I 2009 Offence: the Christian Case, University of Chicago Press /Index on Censorship Melville, C 2009, Taking Offence, University of Chicago Press/Index on Censorship Read More

For instance, when President Trump assented to the law that banned citizens from countries such as Somalia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria among others from entering the United States, the CNN as an advocate of the rights of the citizens provided its audience with a platform where they could address the situations ion from a legal perspective. The CNN was considered effective when it invited experts to engage the audience in discussions on the legality of the law proposed by President Trump. Active audiences from this approach provides a technique through which audiences from derived from varied political fronts can be engaged in discussions on the possible solutions to existing societal problems.

It is possible to assess active audiences from the uses and gratifications theory, which seeks to provide an understanding on how and why different individuals seek out to a specific media to satisfy specific needs. This theory focuses on what audiences do with the media. This school of thought considers audience as active because they will deliberately choose media channels or institution that will satisfy their needs and allow them to engage in knowledge enhancement, social interaction, and diversion.

The theory assumes that members of the audience are not passive consumers of information form the media (Branston & Stafford 2003). Instead, they have power over the media considering that they have the ability of playing an active role in the interpretation, and integration of the media into their personal lives. According to this theory, different media institutions compete against other sources of information with the objective of providing their audiences with the intended gratification.

The CNN when analyzed from the perspective of uses and gratification theory can be perceived as a media institution that provides varieties of platforms for disseminating information. The media institution plays a role in the promotion of active audiences by integrating its news channels with different social networking platforms. The objective of such integration is to provide the audience with a platform of freely expressing their opinion and concern on different news areas. These platforms also provide CNN with techniques of collecting news items from their audiences in different parts of the world.

The audiences in this perspective are considered as active audiences because they not only participate in criticizing or analyzing news items but also provide news items to the news channels. The development and promotion of active audiences is also based on the understanding that media institutions such as the CNN provided appropriate public spaces for the articulation of alternative political, economic, and socio-cultural discourses. This is often aimed at asserting that the concept of citizenship can no longer be perceived as a formal and institutional given, but as a concept of flexibility and fluidity which is founded on the subjective and spatial positions of the individuals in question.

The media from this approach plays the role of decentralizing citizenship through active audiences. The participation of these audiences in petitions, online discussions, and protest plays a role in shaping public opinion, checking the powers of the existing authority, and challenging the political agenda of the government. Active audience is therefore a media empowerment approach for different groups in the society for whom participation in the circulation of media information on political, economic, and socio-cultural issues is equivalent to exercising their citizenship (Abercrombie & Longhurst 1998).

Censorship Inasmuch as the concept of active audiences is essential in ensuring that media institutions play a role in providing their audiences with a platform for articulating their ideas on different social issues, there is need to ensure that he information they provide does not interfere with the rights of other members of the society or contravene the law (Melville 2009).

Read More