The Role Of The Media: A Cause For Concern

It’s often suggested that the media is a mechanism used as an independent, self-regulating body, monitoring and questioning the concentrated power to ensure that it is not abused or violated. The circulation of the term, ‘fourth estate’ is accredited to Edmund Burke during the late 17th century and it referred to the estate which had not been formally recognised (the media) amongst the three other three within parliament [1].  However, in recent years the media has been criticised for the ‘function’ it currently serves in society, as many argue that some media organisations are becoming huge institutes violating their self-assigned power.

Burke argued that ‘established social classes’ had the opportunity to infringe the power they had in society and that, essentially, an independent media source prevents this. However, in recent years there have been many examples of ‘independent’ media sources becoming institutes that own many media outlets, fundamentally having more platforms to convey their ideology or ‘voice’. This potentially disrupts the notion of independent media, therefore if the media organisation is that influential it can potentially determine the outcome of a general election.  In 1992 is exactly what allegedly happened (‘The Sun’ was credited with helping John Major win the general election).

‘The Sun’ (which has an average of 13.4 million readers a week in the UK), amongst many British news outlets such as ‘News of the World’, ‘The Times’ and ‘Sky’ was an asset of ‘News Corporation’ owned by one individual- Rupert Murdoch [2]. Questions could potentially be asked of whether Rupert Murdoch owning ‘News Corporation’, which was the second largest multinational mass media in the world, is any less influential on society than in fact being in parliament. The well-known close alliance between Murdoch and Thatcher during the 1980’s completely undermines Burke’s theory that “it was necessary for certain ‘independent’ voices to take on the task of watching over them. The task was given to the media”.

It seems that the media is becoming more and more involved in political, cultural and economic manipulation due to other interests that don’t particularly include acting as the ‘fourth state’. The most recent general election seems to be the best example of the media not acting as a ‘watchdog’, since many news outlets supported and wrote positive articles on a particular party simply for financial or influential gain. Therefore, in recent years figures suggest the public have grown tired of the expensive and mediocre electoral campaigns and have instead become apathetic towards electoral impact, during what was a devastating recession amongst other issues.

[3]

Figures over the last decade have greatly declined, potentially implying that the media cannot keep the public engaged and up to date with politics. With a vested interest, the media seem to be bowing to the capitalist bourgeoisie.  The focus has often shifted from the parliamentary impact a party would have, to the personal issues and background of an individual. 

The media appears to reinforce the inequalities throughout society, by acting in the interests of the organisation rather than the public or industry. With the influence of the media on the public greater than ever,  and the strive for financial gain ever increasing, it could be said that Burke’s utilitarian notion of the media providing public service is currently neglected.

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[1] Edmund Burke - Slide Shows - Francois Nel 

'Lecture 2 Approaches/Paradigms in the study of journalism'

[2] The Sun Figures - Gavriel Hollander (29 August 2013)

 http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/uk-newspapers-ranked-total-readership-print-and-online

[3] UK Political Info - House of Commons (image)

http://www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm

  

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