The News

1
Chapter 5

• The News

2
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 todays style of news
  coverage?

3
The Four Major Theoriesof News

• Authoritarian
• Libertarian
• Soviet Communist
• Social Responsibility

4
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 Chinas view of the worldwide coverage
  of SARS)

5
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)

6
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.

7
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

8

• Authoritariancontrolled system of news
• Soviet Communistplanned system of news

9
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

10
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

11
Functions of Media

• 1)to inform
• 2)to entertain
• 3)to influence (through editorials)
• 4)to present advertisements
• 5)to transmit the culture

12
Common Faults/Problems

• Blaming the Messenger
• Watchdog Function
• Bad News Only Myth (selective retention)
• Myth of Media Truth
• Biases (Liberal Press)

13
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

14
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)

15
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)

16
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

17
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?