Is The Role Of A Journalist Changing In Our Society And Why?

In the Uk, we find ourselves in a media and press environment in which is self-regulated, unlikecountries like China that have specific rules that underpin their press regulation. It is thought amongst our media that a liberal democracy is how we should operate.

The competitive paradigm looks at pluralist (liberal democracy) media as ‘a public sphere’. Jurgen Habermas came up with this idea of having a space accessible to everybody in which decisions can be made.

The media is referred to as a 'Fourth Estate'. This is the idea that the press and other publishers act as a type of ‘watchdog’. Edmund Burke argued that established social classes would abuse their power and as result the ‘fourth estate’ was created.

Having heard the points of Habermas and Burke, the media slowly began to have a more influential role in the media as there was no manipulation from society. This continues to be achieved through private ownership which comes with no state ownership and as a result no influence from our government.

There are a number of factors that influence a news organisation. These consist of political, economic, cultural and technological. All these elements help shape what impacts Jounalism and all news organisations. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were vital ingredients in shaping what we know as the media industry today.  They achieved this through encouraging private enterprise and also helping the market regulate itself.

Having said all this, Mcnair argues that liberal democracies are sometimes forced to support government. He uses example such as newspapers supporting the gulf war and the second world war.

Technology has been of high speed growth in recent years and suddenly everybody finds their way to impact what is available for public eye. People no longer want to know what happened yesterday, but more that they want to know what is happening now. This is achieved through the intervention of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc). Without the history of media and the journalism industry, our current view on the world of press and media might look a lot differently.

An uploaded picture or a football goal can now be seen within seconds of occurrence. With this technological shift comes expectation and demand for more and faster, resulting in yesterdays news no longer being sufficient in todays’ world. This coincides with busier working lives and longer shift patterns, resulting in a ‘non stop’ environment for the media. I conclude with suggesting that the world of press, as a result of being shaped by past events ,people and technological factors, has resulted in a non stop media environment, and the role of a journalist has become more important and demanding as ever.

 

 

A fourth to be reckoned with? The role of the media in today's society

Back in 1787, philosopher Edmund Burke coined the term ‘The Fourth Estate’, which he used to describe the role the media ought to play in society. According to him, the press should perform a regulatory role by keeping the other three powers (parliament, the state and the judiciary) in line, and prevent them from becoming too dominant. It was also deemed that fluency was needed between them and the public, to aid understanding and co-operation. Almost a quarter of a millennium later, with the media and society having undergone radical changes, do the foundations of this estate still stand strong?

One of the primary roles of the media is to keep the public in touch with those above them - namely the politicians who govern their everyday lives. It is evident that, in order to combat the "growing sense of political disillusionment, apathy and disconnection"[1] that is manifesting itself among today's youth, more transparency is needed at the very top. In 2010, a series of debates were televised in the run-up to the general election. The three leaders - Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg - appeared in front of the general public to tell them how their party intended to deal with various issues, such as the economic crisis and immigration. These debates were a huge success, with the the views peaking at 9.9 million, or 37% of the total TV viewership at the time [2]

This table[3], which charts amount of television watched by various age groups at the time, shows that those in the 12-17 bracket watched more television than any other group bar those who were 50+. As a result, these figures suggest that a large part of the debates' audience was young. This perhaps points to a growing interest in politics, with the media to thank for the publicity these showdowns received in the build-up to their broadcast.

In addition to keeping the people informed on the powers, the media's ability to entertain, educate and inform is unparalleled. Now, more than ever, we are reliant on the media in order to learn and thrive - with the development of the internet, it has become an integral part of our daily lives. The media is a force to be reckoned with and, as such, it must be handled with care and responsibility. IPSO, a regulatory organisation established in the wake of the phone hacking scandal, aims to do this - with the Guardian and Independent refusing to sign up, though, it remains to be seen how effective it will be.

The journalist Anand Shukla remarked that "a democracy without media is like a vehicle without wheels"[4]. Indeed, a strong and independent media is pivotal to the functioning of day-to-day life. Without it, we would be left in the dark, with the powers that be free to run amok and renege on any and all promises as they see fit. The role of the media in today's society must not be underestimated, for it will surely shape the society of tomorrow.

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[1] Ashgate - A Disconnected Generation?https://www.ashgate.com/pdf/SamplePages/Young_Citizens_Intro.pdf
[2] Guardian, 2010 TV debate viewing figures
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/apr/16/leaders-debate-tv-ratings
[3]Marketing Charts, TV viewership data 
http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/more-viewers-watch-timeshifted-tv-15093/
[4]International Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, Anand Narain Shukla
http://www.academia.edu/4243668/MEDIA_AND_SOCIAL_AWARENESS