Is there such a thing as unbiased, non-influenced journalism? News broadcasters have one job, deliver the news of the day to the people regarding the country, the state and their local town; however, few people truly expect these reporters not to have an opinion. They are humans just like every one of us, of course they are going to have an opinion, we just expect them to hidden those thoughts while on camera. The funny thing about our society, we are far more attracted to those who don’t hide their opinions, those who state what’s on their minds to the world each night. Do you know the name of the reporter who just announced that the Senate passed the largest spending bill in our country’s history? Probably not, but I’m sure you know the name of the news anchor who will state their opinion of this bill later tonight. Some of the biggest celebrities today are news anchors who take the news and turn it into entertainment; Bill O’Reilly, Wolf Blitzer or Cooper Anderson. Are these anchors good or bad for our society? Do they make news entertaining, or do they also make news relevant again?
In his essay, Media and democracy- the third way, James Curran talks about the role of media as “watchdogs” of the government and argues that a free market media is needed to make sure that news is not only accurate, but also that people don’t have restrictions on what they can report, whether it’s good or bad for the government. Curran also discusses private versus public media, and how news programs have been ‘regulated’ by what they can and cannot say because of the people who pay their bills.
Listing of Key Words:
FREE MARKET = A free market is a market that is liberated of government regulations and intervention as well as being free of fraud, although this doesn’t disregard the essence of the legal system.
WATCHDOG = A watchdog is one who serves as a protector or defender against loss or illegal practices.
PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE MEDIA = Broadcasters and journalists are not told what they can and cannot say or write in a free media environment. Private media is still expected to represent professional standards of journalism as well as reporting accurate facts that are separated from comment.
Three Main Concepts:
- The role of the “watchdog” and how it overrides in importance of all other functions of the media; “once the media becomes subject to state regulation, they may lose their bite as watchdogs.”
- Media is a place where people can be informed, a place for debate as well as a place to ask questions. The best way to reach this place is through the free-market; where the freedom of the market allows for anyone to publish an opinion which “makes for good judgment and wise government.”
- Media has drifted away from being about delivering the news; it has become about entertainment due to the goal of most media outlets, which is to make a profit.
In his essay, Media and democracy- the third way, James Curran talks about the role of media as “watchdogs” of the government and argues that a free market media is needed to make sure that news is not only accurate, but also that people don’t have restrictions on what they can report, whether it’s good or bad for the government. Curran also discusses private versus public media, and how news programs have been ‘regulated’ by what they can and cannot say because of the people who pay their bills.
Listing of Key Words:
FREE MARKET = A free market is a market that is liberated of government regulations and intervention as well as being free of fraud, although this doesn’t disregard the essence of the legal system.
WATCHDOG = A watchdog is one who serves as a protector or defender against loss or illegal practices.
PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE MEDIA = Broadcasters and journalists are not told what they can and cannot say or write in a free media environment. Private media is still expected to represent professional standards of journalism as well as reporting accurate facts that are separated from comment.
Three Main Concepts:
- The role of the “watchdog” and how it overrides in importance of all other functions of the media; “once the media becomes subject to state regulation, they may lose their bite as watchdogs.”
- Media is a place where people can be informed, a place for debate as well as a place to ask questions. The best way to reach this place is through the free-market; where the freedom of the market allows for anyone to publish an opinion which “makes for good judgment and wise government.”
- Media has drifted away from being about delivering the news; it has become about entertainment due to the goal of most media outlets, which is to make a profit.
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I agree with you in the way that todays media is all about profit rather than a public sphere.
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