Mass market/ junk market and the ParisHiltonization of the news.
What bugs me the most about journalism today is the Paris Hiltonization of the news. This includes the infiltration of infotainment into serious journalism, soft news, the column- centimetres and TV News time allocated to promoting trashy celebrity culture, and the constant pandering to the lowest common denominator.
As they say, no one ever lost money under-estimating the taste (and intelligence) of the public, but is there another solution rather than succumbing to the commercial pressures of the mass market?
Supply what the public demands? If we keep force-feeding the public a constant diet of junk media, like junk food they will become addicted to it- not to mention fat and slushy brains. Is there not an ethical and professional obligation of journalists to lift the bar in educating the public, providing quality information and raising the level of debate on serious matters of public interest affecting people’s lives? Otherwise, it is a downward spiral which is already threatening the credibility of journalism as a profession.
Where is mass journalism destined? UK tabloid The Sun has the largest circulation (3 mill+) of any English language daily newspaper in the world. The average reading age of its readership is 12. Rupert Murdoch – power and influence via his newspaper. This really bugs me.
Quality journalism deserves more than to be relegated to niche and elite markets.
Manipulating public opinion.
Another bug bear is in my own particular field of politics. Journalists are well aware of their influence in swinging undecided voters, especially in a tight election. Do we trust the media to use this influence responsibly?
Media use of polling and surveys can either have a bandwagon or rallying effect. How accurate and impartial are these polls anyway? (eg push polling and cooking the data to favour their preferred candidates).
Election media coverage tends to focus on the ‘horse race’ of the campaign rather than real policy issues. Polls and commentary to this effect intensifies as they near the finish line. If journalists constantly question politicians on policy issues during the campaign, it would maneuver emphasis away from rhetoric and style to matters of substance. It is a chicken and egg scenario—politicos respond to how the media reports politics and it becomes a downward spiral of ‘swallowing out’ campaign information.
Again I return to journalism’s democratic roles of watchdog and providing a forum for debate, rather than pushing their own agenda and too often they are ‘making the news’.
Journalists should be reporting the news; informing, educating and analyzing for public themselves to decide what is best.
anita
Hi Anita,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed your comments in class (and the great competition with you regarding synonyms for walk; I keep thinking of more if you ever want a re-match : ). Anyway, I am intrigued and wanted to look at your blog.
Strangely enough (or not) we both have the same opinion that the media's use of polling and surveys is not what election coverage should be, that it should focus instead on the real policy issues and not the horse race.
You bring up a very good point I did not consider -- that we don't know how accurate and impartial these polls anyway. Too true -- and yet they have so much power when results are broadcast by the media. Well said.
Thanks for your thoughtful ideas -- I enjoyed reading your blog.
DeAnne