Circle Of Deceit

1884 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Media and its influence on society

We currently live in an era of a media takeover. In recent years, technological advancements and new media outlets have created an environment where a good story sells better than a true story. Therefore, it opens the debate over the possible ethical obligations of the media when reporting new. The media’s influence and power has been steadily increasing, now so strong that it could ruin someone's life and career overnight. Therefore, the question is raised of the level of honesty required from the source when reporting a story. The 2010 documentary Tabloid by Errol Morris and the 1981 movie, Circle of Deceit by Volker Schlöndorff, each explore the debate over media honesty differently. Tabloid presents the impact of a media bias, whereas Circle of Deceit exemplifies the medias attempts to deceive viewers with lies to manufacture a better story. Ultimately, both movies successfully advanced the philosophical question of whether or not an objective story can exist. Volker Schlöndorff's Circle of Deceit explores the moral dilemmas that German journalist Georg Laschen encounters when he travels to Beirut. At the …show more content…

Instead, the public has become more fixated on the culture of opinions and therefore subjects themselves to the influence of fixed mindsets. According to Circle of Deceit, we can assume that all news outlets are perpetuating a certain image which encourages a pro-Palestine attitude by Laschen and other Germans. Unfortunately, similar evidence can be seen today. News reports and television talk shows create an environment where listening to opinions of others evolved into an enjoyable pastime. Everyday, newspapers, websites and talk shows give their viewers an overload of personal biases. Whether it be an op-ed page on climate change in the Boston Globe or an opening monologue by Megyn Kelly about Donald Trump, the source sells a certain opinion to

Show More
Related

  • By George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, And Robert L. Lineberry

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    398).It is also stated that news divisions reduced their costs, and raised the entertainment factor of the broadcasts put on air. (p. 400). Secondly, the media determines its sources for stories by putting the best journalists on the case and assign them to areas where news worthy stories just emanates. (p.400). Third, the media decides how to present the news by taking the most controversial or relevant events and compressing them into 30 second sound-bites. (p.402). finally, the authors also explain how the media affects the general public. The authors’ state “The effect of one news story on public opinion may be trivial but the cumulative effect of dozens of news stories may be important. This shows a direct correlation between public opinions and what the media may find “relevant”. (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry, 2015, p.

    Read More

  • How Good People Make Tough Choices Summary

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Rushworth Kidder’s book “How Good People Make Tough Choices,” Kidder provides a series of different methods, codes and examples of what being an ethical journalist could mean. He gives examples of different situations where a person’s ethics are tested and what would be a good way to deal with these situations. He starts by explaining the difference between things that are right-versus-right dilemmas, and those that are right-versus-wrong dilemmas.

    Read More

  • Sheila Gribben Liaugminas How The Media Twist The News Bias

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The old argument that the networks and other ‘media elites’ have a liberal bias is so blatantly true that it’s hardly worth discussing anymore…No we don’t sit around in dark corners and plan strategies on how we’re going to slant the news. We don’t have to. It comes naturally to most reporters.” (Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News) This example is tremendously important in the author’s discussion because it proves that news stories do manipulate people through bias. Popular news networks are viewed by thousands of people every single day, thus making it have a huge impact on the public since they believe what they see. When news reporters present their news segments, it is natural for them to give their insights due to human nature being instinctively biased. “The news media is [sic] only objective if they report something you agree with… Then they’re objective. Otherwise they’re biased if you don’t agree, you know.” (CNN’s American Morning) In this quote, the readers are presented to current panelists agreeing that news consumers have a very hard time separating their own view of the news from the perspective of the news reporters because they are presenting their own opinions throughout their segments. This problem exists once again because of the bias that is contained in media

    Read More

  • Summary Of Speech By Clare Boothe Luce

    744 Words  | 2 Pages

    Clare Boothe Luce, an American journalist and politician, delivered a speech in 1960 to the Women’s National Press Club in front of the American press to criticize journalists for the misinformation they publish in order to challenge them to start publishing the truth rather than writing what the public wants to hear. Luce appeals to the audience of journalists using her role as a politician, comparison, and emphasis to persuade journalists to start writing the truth, no matter how dull, in order for American citizens to truly understand what is going on in today’s society. Throughout the speech, Luce speaks to the audience of journalists about how the information they release shouldn’t be falsified for a myriad of buyers or views. Although

    Read More

  • The Exposure of Valerie Plume as a CIA Operative

    3183 Words  | 7 Pages

    Soghoian, Christopher. “When Secrets Aren’t Safe With Journalists”. The Opinion Pages. The New York Times, 26 October 2011. Web. 17 November 2013.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Media Has Gone Downhill

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is not uncommon to hear people complaining about what they hear on the news. Everyone knows it and the media themselves knows it as well. Some of the most renowned journalists have even covered the the media’s issues in detail. Biased news outlets have flooded everyday news. We find that journalism’s greatest problems lie in the media’s inability for unbiased reporting, the tendency to use the ignorance of their audience to create a story, and their struggles to maintain relevance.

    Read More

  • Comparison of the Society of Animal Farm and America Today

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another controlling method that is diffused through television, radio and written publications; is any reported information about world politics and news. Powerful political groups narrow people’s views of what is going on around them by tainting and twisting information to their own device. They decide what to say and when to say it, revealing as much or little information as desired, in ‘befitting’ instances; thus enabling them to hide information they consider deleterious to themselves, from the public. It also permits them to depict opponents in overly negative terms.

    Read More

  • Social Media is Not the Mother of Narcissism

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    Here’s a question, how often do you check your social media profile’s notification? Based on a research conducted, it is revealed that, Facebook users around the world logged into their account approximately 42,000 years of human time each day (Gutierrez, 2013). An article written by The New York Times stated that the current generations are becoming narcissistic and it is believed that social media are among the plausible factors that promotes it (Quenqua, 2013). However, how true can this statement be? Many researches have proven that social media is not the main cause of narcissism. It has been demonstrated via the real role of social media, the co-relation between social pressure and narcissism, the failure to conclude acceptance of criticism instead of narcissism, the current generation trend and the real problem of narcissism.

    Read More

  • Jurgen Bartsch

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the

    Read More

  • Elements Of Journalism

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    An argument can be made that Journalism is one of the very few professions in the world of media that is handled with some sort of dignity and pride. After reading “The Elements of Journalism” by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, I realized how important journalism is to each and every one of us. Whether you’re a writer or a reader, the back and forth exchange between provider and consumer is extremely important in pushing society forward. Journalism after all is designed to challenge society, promote new ideas and spark conversation between one another. Despite the positives of journalism, there are issues that exist within the profession that cannot be excused and cannot be ignored.

    Read More

  • Public Journalism vs. Traditional Journalism

    2245 Words  | 5 Pages

    Much is being discovered when the public, also known as the consumers and recipients of the news, share their views on journalistic practices. One might suggest that traditional journalism has, in due course, come to an end. Although, there are definitely problems that the public runs into with public journalism taking over. A few of those arguments include their content, the journalists, and the effects that it has on their public audience.

    Read More

  • Journalism and Social Media

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Journalism Ethics Online Journalism Ethics Gatekeeping." Journalism Ethics for the Global Citizen. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. .

    Read More

  • The Importance of Accuracy in Journalism

    1913 Words  | 4 Pages

    The introduction of the internet to modern society has brought about a new age of information relation. Since there is no longer a need to wait until the next print day, news from all over the world is available at a person’s fingertips within hours or even minutes of the event. With this advent of such easily accessible information, new problems for the news media have also arisen. Aside from potentially losing good economic standing because newspapers are no longer being purchased in the quantities they used to be, the credibility of the information itself is also put into question. No one would argue that credibility of news sources is unimportant, but there is a discrepancy in what takes precedence; economy and speed or getting the information out correctly at the first publishing by taking the time to make sure all facts are checked. The importance of having a system of checks on all information submitted is paramount. People trust what they read and believe it to be so without always questioning. If all information were to not be checked thoroughly, there would be instances where people read an article only for information included to be wrong and they go on believing such information. This can be very dangerous as misinformed people make misinformed decisions. With an increase in errors being made by citizen bloggers and even major publications, many are worried that journalistic ethics and credibility in the news media are being sacrificed in order to maintain swiftness in the news circuit and to retain personal profits. Though getting information to the masses quickly is a major part of the media’s importance, this should not mean that the credibility of that information being presented should be sacrificed for it...

    Read More

  • The Future of Responsible Journalism

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    In trying to attract new audiences, news media have begun to transition from reporting to becoming a form of entertainment. With the meteoric rise of social media’s role as a news source, the fight for an increase of diversity in the media, and the ever-growing desire of immediate content, the future of responsible journalism is more important than ever. Ask yourself, why do I think the way I do? Where do my political views originate? How do I prove them? Most likely, it is due to the biased portrayal of issues in the media and the politicization that accompanies what we consume. Now, compare your views to your preferred news reporting entity. More than likely, they are the same.

    Read More

  • Is Journalism a Profession?

    2831 Words  | 6 Pages

    Meyers, C. (2010). The 'Standard Journalism ethics: a philosophical approach? Oxford University Press. Nordenstreng. K. (1995)

    Read More

More about Circle Of Deceit

Open Document