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| Capitalism and The Fourth Estate |
Before Michael Jackson's death, the Iranian political crisis was the big news item. What's
going on? What, if any, is the responsibility of The Fourth Estate (the press, the journalists, the
news media) to the people?
The TV news media executives have decided that Michael Jackson is more important as news
than what's happening in Iran. Capitalism has everything to do with this. Commercial TV is all
about commercial advertising. Advertising has priority over headlines. The news media can
get maximum income from commercial advertising, if the projected viewing audience is large
enough. So, what the news media executives decide is newsworthy is largely determined by
what news story will attract the largest viewing public. The news about Michael Jackson is not
the most important news. But, capitalism is the context in which we live, and in which we get
and hear news reports. Important and informative news may not draw the largest number of
interested and intelligent viewers. Informational and investigative news stories are not the
priority; profits are the priority. Michael Jackson is big news because his death attracts a very
large audience, who will suffer the commercial advertising in order to hear every detail about
Jackson's singular life and suspicious death.
What is the responsibility of the news media to the people? In our capitalist system, the news
media is primarily responsible to the shareholders, and secondarily responsible to the
people. Capitalism and substantive news reporting just do not come together. Commercial TV
and sensible news broadcasting simply cannot work together.
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Posted by rallen2 on 2009-07-04 13:52:27 | Rating: | Views: 25
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