News in the United States Political System - Essay Example

Introduction Technology has ruled the dissemination of information for generations. The power of word of mouth promotion and other forms of communication, expanded dramatically with the facility of a printing press. Newspapers, journals, radio, television, and now the Internet, have all made quantum leaps in the capabilities of people to stay informed, and to form opinions as well. The growth and spread of media should therefore be seen in an evolutionary perspective, rather than in the form of any direct comparison. The United States, both as a democracy and as a dominant economic power, leads the world in freedoms of information and expression. However, the qualities of reporting and journalism in the country certainly have dimensions along which they can improve, and some observers are even severely critical of the state of affairs with respect to the media. The nature of content and safeguards against bias are especially controversial aspects of the matter. There are 3 major groups of stakeholders with respect to news and the media: the people who report, their audiences, and the entities covered by these reports (Bennett, 2007, p. 6). Each of these categories is further affected by their circles of acquaintances and votaries, and the effects that media content have on their images and societal positions. However, the audience should have precedence in all matters related to the development of media, because their vital interests should not be compromised in any circumstances. This document essays a review of how information is collated, analyzed, and presented by US media to its audiences, the impacts on each of the major categories of stakeholders, and how some of the important perceived limitations can be addressed. It is largely based on a major text on the state of the US media, which is widely used, and which is current as well (Bennett, 2007, p. 6). Processes Two significant factors dominate key US media processes: economics and technology. It is expensive to gather first hand information, and to disseminate it as well. Owners, advertisers, and theories of what audiences would like to see and hear, cast overbearing spells on the workings and decisions of reporters and most professional journalists. Economics rule news content (Hamilton, 2004, p. 7). The advantage of free enterprise becomes an entry barrier as far as the collection and dissemination of news is concerned. Editors have to function as executives, with eyes on lines of financial statements, rather than on the strengths they should have, and the accountabilities which they should hold most sacred. Interference and interventions by quarters which provide financial sustenance to the media is not blatant in any overt way, but the subtle compulsions are not to be denied. The most influential of such pressures on professional journalistic processes, relates to the role of advertising. The latter is directly related to sizes of audiences. Truth and relevance must be subservient to guessing as to what people would like to read and to hear. This leads to a high degree of subjectivity in the evaluation of the media and its utility, because the population which it serves is so diverse. Television has substantially displaced the print media as a source medium for news (Bennett, 2007, p. 23). Thus, technology is a determining factor in shaping views, and calls for an extension if not a shift of factual reporting skills from newspapers to electronic media forms. This aspect of media process does not end with television as the Internet grows in influence at unprecedented rates. This trend is set to accelerate much further as cellular telephones offer to keep people in touch at virtually all times. However, this does not mean that mainstream media is condemned to obsolescence, and the resurgence of radio is a reassuring example of how quality news management can retain the loyalties of audiences. The business sector of media is incredibly complex, and most lay people are not conscious of the logistics and management skills which are integral to presenting news as soon after events as possible. A country as large and populous as the United States would produce enormous challenges on domestic fronts alone, but the marked trend towards a global environment, with a unique role for this country, makes the task of US media even larger and more difficult. Effects on People It would be wonderful if people demanded factual reporting, and used the media mainly for news. An ideal situation would require that individuals have and use access to independent sources to check on what is presented to them by the media. Such a dream situation would impel the media towards high standards of journalism, and keep checks and balances against scurrilous or inaccurate reporting. The reality is that not all people are the same. People use the media for a variety of reasons (Bennett, 2007, p. 29). It is cripplingly difficult to be certain of what any section of an audience would like media to cover, and these preferences are not static over time in any case. Large sections of the population use the media for entertainment and recreation. Exaggeration and inaccuracies may cause only benign harm for such audiences, as they meet fantasy and emotional needs through sections on cinema, sports, and the comics. National and global affairs cannot be forced on people who are simply not interested. News has undivided attention in the event of a disaster or in an emergency, but audiences may be extremely thin or intermittent in normal times. News on political matters is special because some audiences wish to keep track of cornerstone policies which affect they deeply (Bennett, 2007, p. 27). Some members of the media try and cater to all kinds of audiences, and to their various information needs as well, whereas others may seek to specialize. It is not just a matter of staying informed, for some people also use the media for their own self-development when perusing sections of the media on political matters. The media, as a pillar of democratic functioning, have responsibilities with respect to factual accuracy and balanced reporting of polarized positions in the polity. The quality of reporting is strongly linked to good citizenship (Bennett, 2007, p. 106). It is not possible to rely on the media exclusively: people have to ask questions in their minds, and when they discuss issues with others (Bennett, 2007, p. 167). It is unfortunate but inevitable that audiences will have to filter what they read and hear. Authenticity is an issue when using the Internet for news (Bennett, 2007, p. 29). The freedom for everyone to publish content, and the possibilities for people to try and disguise their identities, leaves much scope for being misled or wrongly informed. Uninformed citizens are major risks (Bennett, 2007, p. 112). This is exacerbated when sections of society form groups with restricted access, for trends of bias and extremism are accentuated. It is a major challenge for the mainstream to take on marginal and extreme sections, and keep opinion formation as tolerant and rational as possible. However, people may not be interested in unbiased news, and may prefer lascivious entertainment, fantastic fiction, and materials to support their own interests (Hamilton, 2004, p. 71). Generalizations on how the media affects people are hazardous, especially on matters of deep polarization. However, it would be fair to conclude that the US media as a whole is successful in catering to the perceived needs of defined audiences. Citizens can find the information and content which interests them, conveniently and at most affordable costs. Effects on Politicians Research has proved the strong influences of the media on the political process, especially during elections (Mondak, 1995, p. 155). Politicians have no alternative but to court the media, especially during campaigns. Parties may also act below the radar to sponsor some sections of the media, and lend advertising support as well. Though direct interaction with voters can nullify the effects of media, it is not possible to match the reach of television and newspapers. Successful politicians inevitably devote significant parts of their resources to use media and project favorable images of their persona and policies. Reflections on the State of Journalism Reporters have tendencies to move horizontally and vertically from their given positions of presenting facts (Bennett, 2007, p. 118). They love to make predictions, try their hands at editorial tasks, and to attribute positions to various entities. Journalists try and achieve their career ambitions at the costs of their trusting audiences. Gatekeepers color the news, and also affect the quality of coverage, as well as content (Bennett, 2007, p. 26). TV newscasters are especially liable to making suggestive comments, asking leading questions, and giving disproportionate exposure to shades of opinion of their choices. Powerful personalities of the media serve their own interests more than that of the audiences they are supposed to serve. Many of these reporters achieve the status of celebrities, and draw exorbitant remuneration. Inputs which media receive typically exceed the time and space resources which available for their complete presentation (Bennett, 2007, p. 18). There are many choices which editors can make with respect to what they choose to show and to present, and the things which they conceal, even if in part. The lay public is held to ransom by the foibles of reporters, editors, and media owners, in this respect. Many items of important community news do not surface to their deserved levels of public attention, while prurient aspects of private and petty matters may occupy disproportionate amounts of time and columns. There is an explosion in the number of media members involved in the dissemination of news, including large numbers, and shows in channels, which make hybrids between news and fiction (Bennett, 2007, p. 47). However, newspapers are going out of business. There is no established correlation in this vitiated atmosphere between the profitable development of media entities as commercial ventures, and their adherence to top standards and ethics of the profession. Journalistic obligations, standards, and objectivity have to be compromised frequently due to commercial considerations (Hamilton, 2004, p. 215). It is not possible in real life to remain without bias if financial viability is a pressing concern. Stories have dramatic scripts and are presented with embellishments (Bennett, 2007, p. 52). News is fragmented and presented in an inherently negative way, with the result that there is a great deal of bias. The manner of interaction with authorities disregards factual hierarchies (Bennett, 2007, p. 77). Leaders are asked about details which they cannot realistically be expected to know. Reporters do not bother to investigate whether people have respected the scopes and limits of their positions. Editors impose severe restrictions on styles of reporting, rendering much of content to set formulae or patterns (Bennett, 2007, p. 123). Editors may be unduly influenced by owners, supporters, and conventions. There are commercial pressures to adhere to styles and approaches which have worked in the past. Sponsors use surreptitious and subtle means to influence content. Reporters depend on limited sources, and become handicapped in the comprehensive natures of their work by the perspectives and angles of the people on whom they become habituated to rely (Bennett, 2007, p. 118). The overall effect of US media on journalists is not an ideal situation. Though top reporters and media personalities may command enormous pecuniary benefits, the industry sector as a whole is unduly influenced by financial compulsions. Problems Surveys of leading US newspapers show disproportionate focus on the establishment, especially in terms of individuals in positions of authority (Bennett, 2007, p. 78). Non-government Americans are reduced to the margins, and there is an extreme paucity of analyses. Similarly, press conferences and structured interviews make almost half of all sources (Bennett, 2007, p. 47). Non-government meetings and events account for less than 3% of news sources, and the roles accorded to leaks, investigations, and spontaneity are all woefully inadequate. The picture of authoritarianism which emerges is frightening. The media is not proportionately concerned with the needs of the illiterate (Bennett, 2007, p. 88). It also becomes distant from reality, and loses touch with its roots, as it expands. Rich and powerful sections of society can access the media to support even their minor causes, while marginal sections get scant attention for even their most pressing issues. The assembly of news stories is an expensive process: it is cheaper to recycle old material (Hamilton, 2004, p. 26) than to generate new content on a continual basis. This also leads to reporters specializing in narrow areas, trying to make money out of unitary work across multiple media. Local population numbers and distribution costs have traditionally determined access to a number of print media. Cable transmission also involves high fixed costs, and deters free competition. Quality costs money in the business of news, so trade-offs between content and profits are inevitable. Possibilities Much progress is possible if the media would strenuously separate facts from everything else they present (Bennett, 2007, p. 145). An extremely pedantic attitude in this respect would earn widespread respect, and strengthen democratic functioning at the grass roots and in everyday lives. A foil to this would be to offer alternate explanations and views for factual events (Bennett, 2007, p. 153). Audiences should not have to be limited to the material dished out by sections with vested interests in matters. Digital media and the emergence of citizen journalists are positive developments for the emerging role of media in presenting news of political events (Bennett, 2007, p. 207). This movement is more significant than the transition from print to television. There is far greater scope for broad citizen participation in the construction of public opinion, provided that professional journalists do not relinquish their essential responsibilities of presenting bare but comprehensive facts. However, issues of intellectual property ownership, and confirmation of identities, are issues which have to be sorted out for this new medium to realize its true potential (Hamilton, 2004, p. 190) Sponsorship of the media, and the model on which individual channels and print media survive, have far reaching consequences for the utility of the media in making US democracy function effectively (Bennett, 2007, 195). Financial dependence on any source of bias is fraught with peril. Systems to prevent any form of bias due to the patterns of ownership and funding, would go a long way in improving the state of affairs. Audiences, as consumers must lead change (Bennett, 2007, p. 200). It is for them to demand accuracy, openness, disclosure, and timeliness. This applies to analyses and interaction as well. Many people in the third world, bereft of easy access to free media, make efforts to stay more current and better informed than their US counterparts. The quality of news reporting cannot be any better than what audiences demand it to be. Organizations which do not have to work for profit, can add value to the unbiased dissemination of factual news (Hamilton, 2004, p. 37). Such entities can co-exist with commercial channels and publications, for their competition will convey more benefits than any monopoly position. It is unfortunate that the US lacks any such provision at present. Conclusions The US media of the 21st century represents quantum leaps over what any other country has been able to achieve at any time in recorded history. Technology has played a major role in reaching news to far corners of the country in almost real time. It is possible, in theory, for all citizens to participate actively in all phases of news generation, presentation, analysis, and dissemination. The country's media is poised to play its due role in the evolution of democratic principles. Citizens must be vigilant against manipulation of their minds by the media (Bennett, 2007, p. 167). No structure or system can discharge its given functions if audiences remain indifferent to the fare which is dished out to them. The prevailing preoccupation with sports, celebrities, and other non-political matters, reflects on behavior of journalists, as well as on content as a whole. Readers and viewers must continually critique the accuracy, relevance, and depth of analyses, with which they are served. The Internet, with the facility of free web logs which are easy to use, heralds a new age of citizen journalism, and has the potential to break the hegemony of vested or incompetent journalism (Bennett, 2007, p. 207). It must take affirmative steps with respect to authorship and accountability, in order to take the mainstream head on (Hamilton, 2004, p. 190). It is likely that media standards will evolve rapidly with the spread of this relatively new medium, and it will impact the role of the present mainstream as well. Elections at all levels spike interest levels in the media (Mondak, 1995, p. 125). Research has conclusively established the power of media to influence images of politicians and parties before votes are cast. The role of the US media acquires special relevance during campaign periods. It would be desirable for such interest levels to be sustained at all times, and in all spheres. References Bennett, W, 2007, News: The Politics of Illusion, Longman Hamilton, J, 2004, All the News That's Fit to Sell: How the Market Transforms Information into News, Princeton University Press Mondak, J, 1995, Nothing to Read: Newspapers and Elections in a Social Experiment, University of Michigan Press Read More