Media Flashcards
(16 cards)
what is mass media
communicating to a large number of people at the same time
includes many types of media such as traditional (TV newspapers), non traditional (social media)
what is a citizen journalist
ordinary people gathering and reporting on news or information via phones/social media
4 rights of the media
- democratic (free from political and judicial interference)
- restrictions are as limited as possible
- legislation (TV channels must be impartial)
- newspapers can support different political positions (support during election campaigns)
6 roles of the media
Inform the public
Encourage debate
Expose abuses of power
Campaign on issues
Represent public opinion to those in power
Offer a range of political views
5 media responsibilities
Separate fact, opinion & analysis
Report accurately & professionally
Explain issues clearly to the public
Be accountable (publish corrections)
Prioritise public interest & safety
what must society do in order to ensure freedom of the press
Create fair legal & tax systems to support media
Regulate for plurality (diverse voices)
Tackle concentrated media ownership
how can society increase concentration of UK media ownership
Support diverse media access (airwaves & tech)
Encourage both public & private outlets
Give all parties media access (esp. during elections)
Balance freedom of info with privacy rights
Hold media accountable with strong regulation
what effect does the media have
News spreads instantly online to millions
Newspapers now rely on online platforms & ads
Young people get news from social media → risk of misinformation
Raises debate: should gov regulate news sources?
examples of the media holding those in power to account (investigative journalism)
eg 2022 partygate scandal during covid 19 restrictions
lead to police investigation and published inquiry leading to boris johnsons resignation
2009, guardian investigated ‘news of the world’ where rupert murdoch was found to have hacked phones of celebrities, royal family and victims of crime to gain private information, leading to public inquiry in 2011 and convictions
describe the right of media to investigate and report on issues of public interest
Right to report, but must balance freedom & responsibility
Regulation ensures accuracy & protects privacy
Civil law: people can sue for false/misleading reporting
Freedom of Information Act (2000) allows access to info on public bodies
what happened after the 2011 phone hacking scandal
gov set up royal commission
2012 published leveson report which recommended establishing a new body to hold the media to a new code of conduct which would be backed up by legislation
many owners/editors of newspapers didnt agree
what was set up in 2014
some newspapers set up the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) which handles complaints and investigates standards and compliance (form of self censorship)
1400+ signed up (not the independent or the guardian)
who did the gov appoint as an official press regulator, even though very few papers signed up to it
IMPRESS
maintains a standards code and assesses breaches by members
also provides arbitration scheme (settling disputes) which is free to public and protects publishers from risk of court costs or exemplary damages
what is censorship
ability to suppress or prevent publication of information
can be from outside bodies or self censorship where they may refuse to use materials offered individually or collectively as an industry
examples of censorship bodies
advertising standards authority
OFCOM
what isn’t currently subject to formal legal regulation
the media, but the gov is trying to introduce laws or regulations
some countries ban access to some content or close down the internet completely for periods of time
