Distortions of Corporate Controlled News - Essay Example

Title: Undermining of quality journalism by internet /exposure to distortions of corporate controlled news Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name and Code: University: Date of Submission: Introduction The internet provides an avenue through which news and information is shared all over the globe. Given that the internet is becoming more and more cheap and accessible, it provides the best avenue through which the masses can exchange and share information. The speed with which information is accessed through the internet, has made it the most favorable media in terms of getting the latest news from around the globe. However, the emergence of the internet as the preferred media for sourcing of information has in one way or the other distorted state controlled news. This is due to the fact that most information found in the internet is free and one only needs to get a server and the necessary Information Communication Technologies and they will be ready to go. The goodies provided by the internet are so irresistible that the traditional media have to feel the effects of its uptake. The internet and news News refers to any new information that a reader or audience gets access to. Once a reader accesses some information and reads it, the second time they get to read it is ceases to be news to them. For some time, news has been conveyed by the traditional media such as radio and Television. However, with the coming in of internet, so many people log in to the World Wide Web for news and other types of information. This puts the work of the traditional media at a risk of getting extinct in the years to come (Paul, 2000, p. 19-31). From the definition of news and looking at whatever news is generated in the internet, the quality of journalism is negatively affected. Given that most of the news given by the internet is free, most people will prefer the internet from the other traditional media provided by the companies. The internet in most cases does not always guarantee the source of information. This means that the person browsing may even get information and believe in its truthfulness without the credibility it deserves. The internet and the virtual communities The emergence of virtual communities such as Facebook and twitter has really impacted in the lives of many. This ranges from social, political and economy. However, the impacts of the virtual communities in the political arena have really shaken states which have in the past tried to block certain information from being received by citizens (Mark, 2006, p. 211-219). In the past, states controlled all the news from their countries to the international community and even locally. However, with the rise in the popularity of the virtual communities, such measures have failed. Through virtual communities such as Facebook, information spread is fastened and the governments might have very little to do to block such information from reaching the masses. The internet has really acted against the distortion of the government figures. Given that the internet has sources of information from various centers, nit is likely that the figures given over a certain situation may not march that of the government. This in one way or the other has affected many government’s efforts to call for international support over humanitarian issues. This is mainly contributed by the liberalism in information source (Brian, 2006, 76-83). Virtual communities have a great impact in the way citizens of the country take on an issue. While governments all over will have their opinions over certain national issues, spread of propaganda through the virtual communities will out rightly affect such position negatively. This usually happens in cases where spread so fast rumours so that by the time the government gets to respond to it, an opinion would already have been formed over the same. Information that is of National security There is information that states consider to be secret and are rated as matters of internal security. The internet has provided an avenue through which such information is leaked out. Given that this information may leak out to other persons, it only reaches alarming levels when it reaches the international masses Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (Herman, Edward & Noam, 2006). The controversy that has been created by the news brought about by wiki leaks is a pointer of how states are vulnerable to destruction through information leakage. Through the wiki leaks, so many governments have had their cordial relations strained. What nations had strategically planed for other nations has been made clear through these leaks. This leaves some states to find they are locked up in a bad scenario as they are likely to lose a close ally. The internet has provided an avenue though which spies are able to get the top secret government information. This is a very dangerous thing that could happen to a country. Given that nature of such information, a government or state may be in for destruction when it reaches wrong persons such as spies or terrorists. This is usually the reasons why most state governments would wish to fully control the content of the media houses. The internet and quality journalism The internet in one way or the other has negatively impacted on the quality of journalism. Given that journalism is the art that involves the conveyance of information to the masses, there are parameters under which journalism and journalistic materials operate. The internet has led to flouting of many of the journalistic rules and procedures. This would come in on various ways. Spread of propaganda is rife with the internet. Given that it is sometimes difficult to locate the information source in the internet, so many would unscrupulous people have taken advantage of this and post falsehoods against states and individuals. This goes against the journalistic principle of truth (Dan, 2006, p. 112-118). States have since time immemorial tried to control the contents of the information given by the media. However, the internet has made these efforts not to be successful. States are only capable of controlling the local media but not the international media. As such, the internet has provided news which state governments may find to be ‘extreme’ but may have nothing to do about them as they are already in the public domain. They can also not challenge such international companies through courts of law as most are not guided by the local country laws. Journalism banks so much on revenue collected from the sale of journalistic materials and products. Most forms of media companies get their revenue through the adverts that are run during the conveying of news or shows in the media. However, given that this information provided by this state and public companies are available in the internet a good size of their audience is snatched away. This will negatively affect the company in terms of the quality of the content (Calcutt, Andrew & Philip, 2011, p. 123-127). The companies lose a lot of revenue even as adverts are posted in the internet. With increased electronic commerce, it is obvious that more and more businesses will root for advertising through the internet. The revenues that would have been collected by these companies are likely to go down. As such, for the company to deal with this problem, it will be forced to lower down its advertising costs. Lowering the advertising costs would push the company to accommodate cheaper adverts hence the content of the media products would be affected. The quality is likely to be reduced even as adverts would rule the Television and radio programs (Sloterdijk, 1984, p. 190-206). Online Media and the traditional Media Traditional media companies and state run companies feel the pinch of the effect of the internet as a media outlet. Given that a good size of information found in the traditional media such as radio and television is also found in the internet, most of these companies feel threatened by the widespread uptake of the internet as a source of news and information (Stuart, 2009). The internet in most cases usually results in the distortion of the news given by the traditional media companies. Given that the internet usually has international news from international agencies such as Reuters, it s difficult for the local state companies to keep up with the time in conveying news according to the changing times and situations (Isabella, 2007). The traditional media houses and companies usually rely so much on information from the international news agencies. This is usually on international news that the local state media may not have their hand on adequate information on such. For instance, news on word politics, the United Nations, State of world peace and others are usually well covered by the international news agency. What remains to be a big problem is the fact that by the time that these traditional news companies get this information, the internet would already have released such information. Furthermore, if the state of affairs regarding certain information is rapidly changing, the static media such as newspapers and magazines may find their news to have been passed with time (Steve, 1994, p. 123-131). The changes may only be effected in media such as television and Radio. This usually results in wide distortion of the information given by the local state and private company owned media. The internet also provides an avenue through which information from the local media outlets/companies are analyzed and discussed. The analysis of information from the local media usually results in the formation of different opinions from the intentions or the way the arguments are put in the local media companies. These analyses are usually done by individuals and spread through the internet sites which are mostly the virtual communities. Such analyses usually results in the distortion of the original message that the local companies put across through their broadcast or and publications (Advertising Standards Authority, 2004, p. 190-206). Conclusion With the uptake and the ever increasing popularity of internet, the traditional local media remain at a disadvantaged position. The internet provides information that is quite cheap to obtained and from various sources. The local traditional media will always be on the receiving end in terms of the distortion of information they convey. The dependence of traditional media on international news agencies in the internet will always work against the originality of the content of traditional local media news. The newspaper is argues to be the most affected as experts won than its market is likely to shrink further pushing it to almost extinction in years to come. The internet has been a solution to many problems that existed decades ago and as time goes by analysts are watching to see how if and how traditional media such as the newspaper will survive. 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Stop Piracy!, Retrieved September 12, 2008, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LkWKvMCzqA Calcutt, A & Hammond, Philip (2011), Journalism Studies: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, London, P. 123-127 Dan, G (2006), We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the people, for the people, O'Reilly Media, California, p.112-118 Herman, E & Noam, C (2006), Manufacturing Consent, Courtney Love Manifesto. Retrieved September 12, 2008, from http://www.indie music.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=820. Brian, M (2006), Cultural Chaos: Journalism and Power in a Globalized World, Routledge, p. 76 83 Mark, P (2006), Information Please: Culture and Politics in the Age of Digital Machines, Duke University Press, Durham, p. 211-219 Paul, V (2000), The Information Bomb. London: Verso.Galloway, A. 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