News media can be defined as any platform in which a journalist can report and publish a story5. In the modern era, it has become an accepted societal norm that large corporations, for the most part, own and control much of the news media that the public is exposed to. The federal government has permitted this news media convergence, and that should feel ominous to every American. This could lead to a very Orwellian future; one where very few, but very large corporate interests control the way the public views the world. In the coming era of American politics, a concentration of news media into a handful of corporations could prove to be incredibly detrimental. News media outlets can report a story in a way that shapes how the viewer perceives the event. The way a story, or even a headline, is worded and depicted can cause the audience to begin reading the article with some sort of unconscious implicit bias. By using this power, the news media parent corporations can shift and change the view of the public …show more content…
With the growing trend of “click bait” headlines designed to lure readers in came an increasing demand for thrilling, emotional, or trendy content to be featured in every news story1. Because of this, there is consistent incentive for networks to feature these types of stories attract sizeable audiences, leaving some news left unreported and disregarded. Maintaining and increasing profit will always be the primary goal for any corporation, and if news media continues its consolidation trend, then only revenue-producing headlines and stories will be delivered to the public. News media should be focused on supplying truthful information to the public from a variety of perspectives, regardless of the financial
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.
“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
Michael Parenti (2002) declares media in the United States is no longer “free, independent, neutral and objective.” (p. 60). Throughout his statement, Parenti expresses that media is controlled by large corporations, leaving smaller conglomerates unable to compete. The Telecommunications Act, passed in 1996, restricted “a single company to own television stations serving more than one-third of the U.S. public,” but is now overruled by greater corporations. (p. 61). In his opinion, Parenti reveals that media owners do not allow the publishing of stories that are not beneficial and advantageous. Parenti supports his argument very thoroughly by stating how the plutocracy takes control over media in multiple ways: television, magazines, news/radio broadcasting, and other sources.
Many people believe that liberal media bias is very relevant in this day in age, but really it is just a myth. Conservatives, also known as republicans, tend to forget that most of the American media is influenced heavily by corporate business owners(Schaller 49). Topics such as issues of war and peace, taxes and spending, and government regulation are heavily favorable to the conservatives. A study done by Media Matter for America shows that over sixty percent of U.S. daily newspapers publish conservative journalists rather than liberal(Schaller 49). On the other hand, it is obvious that some hot topics in the news are liberally skewed.
The news media rejects the fact that they are biased. They claim that they are the “middle of the road,” and are neutral on the stories that they cover. Publishers also claim that they are the watchdog for the political system, and they make sure that the system is free of any corruption, or wrongdoing. Th...
One way in which government achieves this objective, is by its ability to misuse the media’s ability to set the agenda. Contrary to popular belief, media is in fact an enormous hegemony. In fact, separate independent news organizations do not exist. Rather than creating an independent structured agenda of their own, generally lesser smaller news organizations adapt to a prepared agenda, previously constructed by a higher medium. Based upon this information alone, it is quite apparent that media functions in adherence to the characteristics of a hierarchy.
During these difficult economic times sensationalism has become more prevalent in the media. Stories involving sex scandals and child murders have taken over our T.V and internet screens as well as the front pages of our newspapers. The media bias of sensationalism has been used as a sort of escapism for readers. Although it may seem that sensationalism has just started making waves, it has been around for decades. Sensationalism has been influencing viewers and contributing to media bias since the days of the penny press. Sensationalisms long history has been turbulent, self-serving, and influential to today’s reporting practices. With the influence over readers’ sensationalism’s media bias have and will continue to affect media reporting for years to come.
In order to understand new media, one must first have a solid background of the old media. The old media traces its origins back to the “elite or partisan press [that] dominated American journalism in the early days of the republic” (Davis 29). With the advent of the penny press around 1833, the press changed its basic purpose and function from obtaining voters for its affiliated political party to making profit (Davis 29). With more available papers, individual companies competed with each other with “muckraking journalism”—investigative journalism exposing corruption—and “yellow journalism”—sensationalist journalism that completely disregarded the facts (Davis 30). The press continued to evolve its journalistic approaches and next shifted to “lapdog journalism,” r...
Alternative Journalism threatens to disrupt the normative structures that mainstream journalism has created in which many news agencies follow. What can be described as Alternative journalism is anything that provides information that challenges the mainstream flow. It challenges the Mainstream news by hoping to play a balanced and unbiased role within the industry by showing stories which do not get shown within mainstream news. Alternative journalism has also become a voice for groups within society that have become under represented which can vary from indigenous groups to different forms of subcultures. The Alternative can also be more credible sources of information than what we find in the Mainstream news because journalism done by alternative
What is the media in contemporary America? Media is the essential source of information about what is going on in America and the world. The media is where the vast majority of the people receive their information and news. The manipulation of the media can promote the death of freedom in modern America. The media is a great tool for information, but people should not give nearly all of their faith in them. The media evolved from an information channel to an entertainment source. Nearly every single media is revised by some high power such as the government. Most small children are becoming worse due to the influence of the media. Over the years, media has become more manipulative toward their viewers, trying to impose a one sided story in which they only want the people to listen to. The most power in the United States would go to the government because they are the top commanding what needs to be done. This being said, the government can control the media to only view what they want the people to see, limiting the truth and a one-sided opinion. In the novel It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis, he depicts fear will compel the people to abandon their freedom to be secure from any harm. The manipulation of the media is greatly to blame, distributing fear to the people so the government can be in control of them.
Pictures were found to not be more important than words and ideas, and covering stories in a way that is interesting to the audience attracts and holds viewers better. “How a newsroom covers a story- the degree of thoroughness, the amount of enterprise and, ultimately, the investment of a newsroom’s time, resources, and energy – has a greater influence on ratings than what the story is about. In other words, contrary to the popular belief, treatment trumps topic” (Rosenstiel 71). Therefore, longer and more complete stories about important local stories will build viewership. If news professionals not only understand the truths that invalidate
The history of mass media started with the invention of technology. The moment technology was invented; media has used it as an opportunity to expand to a wider audience. As technology develops it’s just a matter of time before the media becomes involved. There is no limit as to how involved the media will become.
The media is sometimes called the “Fourth Estate” because of its influence in shaping the course of politics and public opinion. Some people are influenced by what they read or hear and others are not. There is a well-known psychological process called selective attention. Wilson, Dilulio, and Bose define it as “paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees.” (290)
Press freedom takes influential place in a country. It represents citizen's freedom of speech and the right to know. Media can expose news without obstructor or any controls by government and organizations. There should not be control over the press and press freedom is necessary for regulation the growth of corruption, development of economy and maintenance of democracy.
Duncan (2000:1) concurs with the aforementioned statement, “According to the constitution of the republic of South Africa everyone has the right to freedom of expression and access to information. The broadcast media are key conduits for the exercise of these rights, as they are without doubt the most popular and accessible forms of media in the country”. In South Africa as in most developing countries, radio still remains the main source of information. No other communication platform enjoys the level of popularity matched to that of radio, public broadcast radio to be specific (PBS). When zooming into radio listenership, figures displayed on SABC’s website indicate that 84% of the South African population under the age of fifteen listens