Chapter 5

The News

Convergence

• A constant since there were only two or three. Now, there are many types of media news that all effect one another and eventually create a new “kind” of news coverage.

• What would you call today’s style of news coverage?

The Four Major Theoriesof News

• Authoritarian

• Libertarian

• Soviet Communist

• Social Responsibility

Authoritarian

• The government controls the media completely.

• This led to (in U.S.) laws against treason and sedition.

• Modern examples include Turkey, Iraq, China, etc (imagine China’s view of the worldwide coverage of SARS)

Libertarian

• Emerged from a premise that the government should exist solely to serve the interests of the individual.

• Media should serve the people not government and the best way to find the truth is to have many opinions aired.

• Came about during Age of Enlightenment (15th to 18th centuries)

More Libertarian

• Jefferson, Franklin, James Madison and others helped form the idea

• Freedom of the Press comes about; First Amendment

• Watchdog of the government• Fourth Estate• Fifth Estate –broadcast• Sixth Estate--internet • Obviously, we still have this form in U.S.

Soviet Communist

• Russian Revolution in 1917

• Modeled on Authoritarian Theory

• Added the agenda setting/news was to communicate the doctrines of the state and the Communist Party to the masses

• Authoritarian did not rely as heavily on use as propaganda; less information in general

• Authoritarian—controlled system of news

• Soviet Communist—planned system of news

Social Responsibility

• Evolution of media became more about profit• More chains developed; so fewer ideas were

presented• Out of the criticism comes the Social

Responsibility Theory • Offshoot of Libertarian that contends press is

socially responsible to keep a democratic nation informed

More Social Responsibility

• There was a clear need for some sort of regulation

• Press could not be entirely free

• FCC formed for broadcasters but print is still involved in self-regulation

• Some modern ideas like FOX New Network deal with the idea of more opinions

Functions of Media

• 1)to inform

• 2)to entertain

• 3)to influence (through editorials)

• 4)to present advertisements

• 5)to transmit the culture

Common Faults/Problems

• Blaming the Messenger

• Watchdog Function

• Bad News Only Myth (selective retention)

• Myth of Media Truth

• Biases (Liberal Press)

Wire Services

• AP Associated Press New York 1848

• UPI United Press International 1907

• Reuters 1850s London

• AFP Agence France-Presse Paris 1945

• Public service not for profits services

Radio News

• Developed around World War II

• Before, radio did limited news

• We then heard from Edward R. Murrow

• Live reports

• First time we heard “actual” war sounds

• Then followed development of radio networks ABC, NBC (in coming chapters)

TV News

• The political conventions of 1948 broadcast by CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) and NBC (National Broadcasting Company)

• Later Vietnam War became first time we saw “actual” war footage in 1960s

• The Space Race got many people hooked on TV news as well

• Then, it gets out of hand• Watergate, etc. (future chapters)

More TV News

• CNN Cable News Network

• Ted Turner early 1980s

• First 24 hour news channel

• Others follow but not for more than 10 years

• CNN encouraged camcorder use

• Rodney King in 1991

Internet

• Still not really developed as a news agency

• Currently, all other previous forms have websites to help make news interactive

• Some news breaks on the internet but few people use as major source of news

• What will the convergence bring?