“We want free speech for many reasons. Some involve essentially individual interests; others, the public interest or the common good. Some have to do with politics…others concern intellectual values like the truth.” (Lictenberg/McQuail)
Freedom of speech is one of the constitutional rights that are most valued in the United States. When I think of freedom of speech I consider it in relation to politics and media. I believe the war in Iraq is a topic that is covered in a very “delicate” way. Last week in the NY Times (online) the main story displayed was about the top celebrity talents and on the side in small print was a short story (with no visual aid to grab the reader’s attention) about the war. I personally feel that the war is a topic that is vaguely covered in the news. I think that if more visuals would be shown people would remember that we are actually in a war instead of being able to displace this truth far from their minds.
In chapter 14 McQuail addresses how there is a limited amount of ‘mass media space-time’ and there is only so much news that can be aired on major channels of mass communication. The problem with this is how (or who) decides what stories should be covered and how. He proposes certain factors for why and how the news gets covered, these ideas include: new organizations that belong to large corporations that have the say of what gets covered and how, economic influences (proposing stories to captivate the largest audience wheatear the story is most news-worthy or not), manipulation by government officials, media characteristics that can distort or constrain the stories (and how they are delivered.)
In this YouTube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKSk9uwg7LI protesters fight the media and how it covers the Iraq war. In fact one of the protesters signs boldly states “media lies, people die.” They argue that the media never reports on the Iraq war in a sufficient way. They are boycotting the news coverage not for LACK of information, but for manipulating the minds of Americans into thinking that everything revolved around the American involvement in the war is good and pure when in reality they are responsible for inhumane and criminal acts. Due to lack of news coverage are we as Americans being manipulated by our media and government into believing that the war is something it’s not? Should the Media be held responsible and be obligated to cover stories more accurately so the American people do not blindly back their country?
In the reading from Baran & David (chapter 5) the idea of Social Responsibility is presented. They explain how during the time of the cold war Joseph McCarthy, was able to manipulate the minds of Americans through propaganda and was able to stir hatred towards certain minorities or people. Much like how Hitler was able to gain support through falsely advertising himself and reporting false truths, we must think of the consequences of what is reported past the initial airing. When we look at the manipulation from leaders we must demand the truth about the Iraq war. Not only so we are represented properly by our nation, but so we can support causes that are just and not misrepresented. For reasons of manipulation prevention and false “advertisement” do you think it is important that the media is held responsible for accurately showing the facts of the Iraq war?
“There’s not a seriousness to the coverage and there’s not an empathy to the coverage.” (J. Scahill)
In this YouTube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3kQXs-KMIQ&feature=PlayList&p=8BDF46EE3328D4DC&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11 Jeremy Scahill discusses how the media leaves the American people blind to the reality and severity of what the Americans are doing over in Iraq. He blatantly says that the majority of Americans can NOT accurately tell you the death count of Iraqi people however almost every American can tell you the name of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby’s father. Is this just news coverage?
After reading the assigned reading and viewing the provided YouTube clips I think we must ask ourselves if the media should be held responsible for the lack of information provided to the people in regards to the war. Should we as Americans be forced to view the truth about the war through media coverage wheatear we like it or not? If the media covered news more accurately would we therefore be forced to stand up and say this is ‘not going to happen in my name anymore?’ Because of the lack of information and truth provided through media outlets, is America and the Media therefore misrepresenting us?
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During the youtube video of Jeremy Scahill, he stated, “We hit the lowest point in mass media.” When he made this comment, the audience loudly clapped, and thus agreed with what he was saying. If I were there, I would have clapped too. After doing my discussion paper about the framing of the Iraq war, I am now very skeptical of the media. I concluded my paper by stating that journalists portray a story, and through their findings, they frame the story a certain way to have the public also think that way. When I read news stories, for example, on the internet, I will read the same story from two different networks to get two perspectives on the same story. This is because I want to make sure that I know the truth of the story, since many journalists write from a one-minded perspective. However, if the media is going to cover stories, they should do it in the most professional and ethical matter. They should convey both sides of the story and not, for instance, just try to be a PR agent for the government by putting them on a pedestal. When they do not cover accurate stories, they should be held responsible for doing so because they are the gatekeepers and the messengers of the world news.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, after doing the assignment last week, I noticed that an article regarding Obama and nuclear energy was posted at the bottom of the website, but an article about Jolie and Pitt was seen as a lead story. This boggled my mind that news regarding nuclear energy and our President was not seen as a lead story, but the relationship between two celebrities was. “The power of the press does not consist of promoting specific ideas or images; the power of the press is the ability of the major media to be the gatekeepers of the public sphere (McQuail 192). The media decides what they think is important and by publishing stories as “lead stories,” the public is automatically going to think that those are the most crucial and significant stories to read upon. In a question proposed in the Baran and Davis reading, “Should there be less entertainment and more content that informs and educates?” (Baran Davis 98). I think the media should produce more content that informs and educates because we have enough shows, such as reality and drama shows, that provide enough entertainment to the world. There should not be as much gossip as there is about celebrities life, etc. because that is not what is important. On the contrary, topics, such as the Iraq war, are important and newsworthy. I don’t think the media is necessarily portraying the war into something that it actually isn’t because many Americans are aware of what is going on with the war. However, “to what extent do the Americans know” is questionable. I think the media should spend more time telling the public what is “exactly” going on with the Iraq war instead of covering it “in such a delicate way,” as Daina stated. There are many articles about the Iraq war that just make America seem like the global hero, but, I’d like to read more news stories about how Iraqis feel about their loved ones that have passed, etc. In chapter five of Baran and Davis, it notes one of the principles regarding the social responsibility theory of the press, which is “the media should avoid whatever might lead to crime, violence, or civil disorder or give offense to minority groups” (Baran Davis 114). I disagree with this because I think any crucial event that occur in the world and in our nation should be revealed to the public. During the youtube video, Scahill said that ¾ of a million of Iraqis have died since US invasion, but when there was a poll conducted, majority of respondents said there were less than 10,000 Iraqis who have passed. This shows that the media is misrepresenting us, and regardless of the inhumane occurrences that are being experienced in the Middle East, it needs to be reported to us. People need to be more aware of all aspects of the war and without providing accurate and plenty of information, the public will never be acutely knowledgeable about the war.
Daina brings up a good point when discussing the current coverage, or lack there of, when it comes to the Iraq war. News organizations bring the bias they already have into delivering top news stories. The media does have a responsibility to accurately report the current situation in Iraq. Some media theorists believe that direct regulation of the media is necessary. “They argue that media practitioners can’t be trusted to communicate responsibly or to use media effectively to serve vital public needs—especially during time of war or social upheaval. Some sort of oversight or control is necessary to ensure that important public needs are satisfied” (Baran and Davis 99). While these theorists might understand that certain issues need to be put into society, freedom of the press needs to be more important within a society. The media needs to give the public the important accurate information, and the current situation in the Middle East would be considered important.
ReplyDeleteThe media has a responsibility to give Americans the truth. "Social responsibility theory appealed to the idealism of individual media practitioners and tried to unite them in the service of cultural pluralism—even when this might reduce their profits or antagonize existing social elites” (Baran and Davis 114). Although certain parts of the Iraq war need to be put into society, some aspects of war are too hard and insensitive. Daina brings up how powerful the media can be in manipulating groups of people, as seen during Hitler’s rule and the Cold War. Although certain issues have not been dealt with appropriately in the media when in comes to the Iraq war I believe the media is not out to manipulate me. I feel that certain issues of war are too hard and difficult for the majority of people to see. There needs to be a delicateness brought to coverage of the Iraq war, but delicate does not mean inaccurate.
It is unnerving that the celebrity news has become one of the most popular types of news in society. I hate to admit that I fall into that generalization that I can name Anna Nicole Smith’s baby’s father while I cannot name the number of civilian deaths in Iraq. I feel that I do follow the news and that a statistic like that is not covered frequently or at all. “News organizations are driven economically to capture the largest possible audience, and thus not to turn it off with whatever does turn it off – coverage that is too contro-versial, too demand-ing, too disturbing. […] One is simply lack of adequate exposure to information and ideas that are true or interesting or useful, that help us to understand the world better or make life more satisfactory in one way or another” (Lichtenberg 173). Most news organizations want to bring in ratings and stay away from subjects that are too difficult and contentious. To make everyone happy they have big headlines on celebrities where little politics are involved.
I think that what Daina is saying is interesting, because the politics of reality, and what the media portrays is something that is a sensitive subject for most Americans. I’m sure that for every person who blames the media, you can find someone who doesn’t. And I think that Daina show’s that maybe we do need to take a step back and think if the Media is giving us a false perception of what is real. When President Bush declared war, shortly after the attacks on the world trade center, media covered stories left and right. No matter what news sight you went to, or what political show you tuned into, you were getting a specific angle on what was currently taking place. However, now that it is so many years later, people feel differently about the war. Some American’s are angry about it, so they choose to disregard it until there is a resolution, whereas some American’s are pro-war and want up to take everything they hear on the news as truth, because it is in favor of their beliefs. Daina really made me stop and think when she brought up Ana Nicole Smith. Her death was covered by every news corporation, and I am sure that more people know the outcome of her baby’s paternity test, than people who are aware with what the U.S. death toll is overseas.
ReplyDelete“It is not surprising, therefore, that a great range of opinion and analysis outside the narrow mainstream rarely sees the light of the mass media. This lack of diversity manifests itself into two ways. One is simply lack of adequate exposure to information and ideas that are true or interesting or useful, that help us to understand the world better or make life more satisfactory in one way or another…As a result, we are more ignorant and more provincial than we could be, and we may be worse off in other ways as well. (McQuail 173)” I do think that this is causing ignorance to American’s. Just like we learned from our theory to practice on framing, the media shows what they want us to believe. By having non-relevant celebrity drama as the top stories, you are “dumbing-down” American’s. Have public policy issues on the side in small writing with no visuals, is NEVER going to grab the reader’s attention.
The social responsibility theory shows that “media should accept and fulfill certain obligations to society. (Baran/Davis 114)” I agree with that statement, however, there is one problem I have with this theory. “Media should avoid whatever might lead to crime, violence, or civil disorder or give offense to minority groups. (Baran/Davis 114)” While I agree that no minority group or crime should be committed causing harm to someone, the media is almost causing a civil disorder by not showing what they should. As we saw in Daina’s first YouTube video, people in Seattle were protesting, and trying to make people aware of, how the media is not portraying what they should (i.e. “Media Lies. People Die.”) So this is causing a negative effect.
I do believe that American’s are being manipulated to have an belief or outlook on the war that is not a reality. I cannot decide if the media is the only thing to blame, but they are how we get the news about places we cannot physically see ourselves. I believe that American’s are blind to the big picture about the war. There may not be a clear cut answer for this question, but I definitely think that the media is to blame for most of America’s ignorance on the War in Iraq.
I think Liebling's quote at the beginning of Chapter 14 in McQuail best describes this whole situation. If you want complete freedom of press you must be in control of a paper company. As Lichtenberg stated in today's society even if you were to own your paper company there is such a hierarchy of power that still censorship will occur.
ReplyDeleteSo in respects to the Iraq war, I do not think that there should be 24 hour coverage because that is going from one extreme to another but to be kept more aware of the situation going on over there. Like you said in class last week there are many times where I also forget that we are still in a war.
Also the idea of the "responsible journalist" mentioned in Nerone (p. 187) seems passé. There is such heavy influence on the media nowadays I do feel that we really are blinded on many issues. Scahill's arguements in the video are extremely valid points as a society we are celebu-obsessed. I honestly still to this day do not know why we are at war in Iraq because from what I knew we were attacked by the Taliban who reigned from Afghanistan. I mean at the time I did not know where Afghanistan or Iraq was. They could have possibly been neighboring countries, I mean that could probably say a lot about our education system in this country but that's another topic. But honestly there is no media coverage that is not biased and censored. The days of unbiased political news coverage has become this mythical thing.
I think if there was more truthful strictly reporting what is occurring over in Iraq that might inspire patriotism like it did during the Vietnam war. Support of our troops is needed because there are so so many soldiers who have put their lives on the line for this country, whether the decision to be in war was the right one. These men and women shouldn't bare the brunt and I think if more people are educated on the statistics they might inspire change. Education is power.