Regulation

Media Magazine Article

Keith Perch used to edit the Leicester Mercury. How many staff did it have at its peak and where does Perch see the paper in 10 years' time?

• 130 members of staff. If it's in print it will be 'extremely expensive, weekly and with a small circulation' or online it will struggle to make money and employ only 5/6 staff members. 

How does Perch view the phone hacking scandal?

• Perch said 'A small section of the press was behaving in a totally unacceptable way, but it should have been dealt with legally. I don’t think regulation is the answer.' suggesting that he sees the conclusions drawn from the phone hacking scandal were inappropriate for the situation and actually lead to more harm than good being done for the newspaper industry.

What does IPSO stand for and how does it work?

• Independent Press Standards Organisation. It works by investigating a complaint and ordering corrections and apologies to be printed on a certain page, if any misjustice or misdemeanors have been found. 

What is Perch's view of newspaper ownership?

• He doesn't see any problem in the monopolisation of the industry by the very few owners such as the Murdochs. He says that people have autonomy and they have the choice whether to read 'The Sun' or 'The Guardian' and that the influx of politically inclined newspapers has no influence on readership. 

Do you agree with his view that broadcast news should have less regulation so that TV channels can support particular political parties or people?

•  Absolutely not. I think that broadcast news and print news should be regulated in order to ensure the news is being presented in a way that limits the amount of political influence a text can have. As Gerbner argues heavy use can influence someone's behaviours and attitudes and it's something I feel like in the digital age is unavoidable however it can be prevented in traditional mediums in order to offer a partisan option. 

What are the arguments for and against statutory regulation essay

Daily Mail #3

Supermarket owners plead to an end of Panic-buying

Date Accessed: 15/03/2020

•  This story is a soft news story covering the hysteria of the coronavirus in the UK and how some supermarkets have been forced to ration amid panic buyers stockpiling basic necessities. Over 1/3 of shoppers admitted to stockpiling and it has become a cause for concern surrounding supermarket owners as they simply do not have the stock. 
•  This story offers familiarity [Galtung and Ruge] as it has been covered heavily over the last few weeks, it also offers surveillance [Blumler and Katz] as it notifies the public on the current resource crisis caused by hysteria. 
• It is a conventional story, as it has an underlying right wing narrative as it says this crisis is high on Boris Johnson's agenda for combatting the impacts of COVID19 however the lack of coverage on Boris Johnson's silence as situations have gotten worse solidify the lack of impartiality when it comes to government control over issues such as this.

The I #3

Babies understand grammar before they can talk

Date Accessed: 13/03/2020

• This story is a soft news story that covers how during the developmental stages, reading and talking to children can improve their language skills. Researchers found that by 8 months old children are already developing the basics of their mother tongue and therefore talking to them can help solidify this foundation.
• This story appeals to an audience due to its appeal of balance [Galtung and Ruge] to the high density of COVID-19 stories. 
• It reflects the educational values of the 'i' as well as appeals to the demographic of the newspaper, which is predominantly females of a fertile age. 

News Values

Come up with a news story from the last 12 months for each of the categories suggested by Harriss, Leiter and Johnson:

• Conflict - Tension or Surprise  

• Progress - Triumph or Achievement

• Disaster -Defeat or Destruction

• Consequence - Effects on individuals or community

• Prominence - The well-known or famous

• Novelty - The unusual or emotional

What example news story does the Factsheet use to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values? Why is it an appropriate example of a news story likely to gain prominent coverage?

• 'British servicewoman dies after Afghan bomb blast' it links with familiarity, continuity and is also a tragic story, which appeals to an audience. 

What is gatekeeping?

• Gatekeeping 'is the process of filtering information prior to dissemination' 

What are the six ways bias can be created in news?

• Selection and omission
• Placement
• Headline
• Photos, Captions, Camera Angles
• Use of names and titles
• Choice of words

How have online sources such as Twitter, bloggers or Wikileaks changed the way news is selected and published?

• They have provided an aspect of transparency within the News industry, as well as providing access to news stories before they reach the mainstream media or gone through correct regulation processes. 

Complete the task on the last page of the Factsheet regarding Sky News and Twitter:

• What does this reveal about how Sky views Twitter as a news source?

Twitter is viewed as crucial to the growing immediacy of news however the examples used show that the lack of regulation means that the information provided is perhaps unethical.  

• What does it say about how news is being produced?

News is far more immediate and it is far more widespread. Twitter as a medium allows for information to be communicated quickly and be accessible for the masses, as well as giving light to some stories perhaps ignored by the mainstream national press. 

• What role does the audience have in this process?

They interact with tweets and share them, sometimes at their own detriment, which allows the news to have a large audience reach. 

• Why might this be a problem for journalistic standards?

As mentioned above, information is not always completely true or valid, impartial or regulated before being shared and is sometimes shared with the intent to gain attention rather than inform; this means that information being shared and circulated is sometimes socially detrimental for example in the case of Johnny Depp's domestic abuse claims. 

In your opinion, how has the digital age changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values? 

• The digital age has offered a larger range of news stories available to the public however the News Values have not changed significantly, except for the rise of digital age meant the subsequent rise of American Culture and thus American news now falls under the Familiarity and Continuity.

How would you update them for 2020? Choose TWO of Galtung and Ruge's news values and say how they have been affected by the growth of digital technology.

• Negativity and Amplitude. The spread of bad news has become astronomical with the introduction of the internet and 'clickbait' since bad news garners traffic and in alliance with Freud's theory of Scopophilia [the human instinct to want to see something society views as taboo] people rarely seek out to find out about the good particularly with the rise of natural disasters and social degradation and warfare within the last 12 months [Amplitude] there is a higher density of information available on said disasters than there perhaps would've been in 2000.

The Future of Journalism

Why does Clay Shirky argue that 'accountability journalism' is so important and what example does he give of this?

• It 'forces' people to hold themselves accountable for their past and present actions, seen through the worldwide pressure on the Catholic Church after the investigative piece was released to speak up about the misjustice and make substantial changes. 

What does Shirky say about the relationship between newspapers and advertisers? Which websites does he mention as having replaced major revenue-generators for newspapers (e.g. jobs, personal ads etc.)?

• It has seen a distinct change from the Post WW2 power balance, into a shift where it is not the only outlet and that there are other advertising centric websites, such as Monster and Craigslist, that are offering that exposure and doing it better. 

Shirky talks about the 'unbundling of content'. This means people are reading newspapers in a different way. How does he suggest audiences are consuming news stories in the digital age?

• He says that the formation of newspapers is 'not intellectual [sic] it's industrial' and that in the digital age people are interested by bulk content, editorial judgement and serendipity- they like to consume similar news and they like to consume it from their twitter timelines or facebook feeds or instagram stories rather than going to the website themselves. 

Shirky also talks about the power of shareable media. How does he suggest the child abuse scandal with the Catholic Church may have been different if the internet had been widespread in 1992?

• It would have had the same reaction the Geoghan case did, as it would have been consumed quickly and at a considerable density and created the lasting outrage that the 92 case failed to govern. 

Why does Shirky argue against paywalls? 

• He says that a paywall 'damages general news, and benefits financial news'  by introducing a paywall, the news thus becomes inaccessible to those who cannot afford it and creates a distinct separation between those who read the news, and those who can afford to read the news. 

What is a 'social good'? In what way is journalism a 'social good'?

• A 'social good' is where 'a group of people just get together and do something for themselves' which can be applied to his other theory of 'end of audience' where the audience themselves begin to produce and report on the news that they feel is important and relevant rather than relying on institutions. 

Shirky says newspapers are in terminal decline. How does he suggest we can replace the important role in society newspapers play? What is the short-term danger to this solution that he describes?

• He says that newspapers are 'irreplaceable' and that there is no model in society that can fit the role that newspapers have played. He says that we can rely on alternatives however they will simply degrade the already declining newspaper industry and since we don't have established institutions in place to take over the role it could be catastrophic for society and the way we consume news.

How important is it that major media brands such as the New York Times or the Guardian continue to stay in business and provide news?

• I think that they are extremely important- print media is a medium that can be trusted and is easily regulated and has the supposed partisan system however once we remove these institutions there will be a lack of 'truth' within news. Truth is already subjective, and reading news that is preceded by opinion will influence how we consume and critically think about the news therefore for me, institutions in news are vital for its success. 

The I #2

World Book Day; Book Recommendations for teenagers

Date: 05/03/2020

• This story covers book recommendations from readers for teenagers, due to World Book Day. It is soft news. 
• In relation to Galtung and Ruge's News Values theory, this relates with Balance since it is fairly positive and contrasts the abundance of political stories and COVID 19 stories in the media at the moment, It also links with Familiarity as World Book Day is celebrated nationally. There is also an aspect of Surveillance as there is information concerning a plethora of books that have an appeal to teenagers. It also links with Shirky's theory on End of Audience as the story takes readers recommendations and therefore has that 'many to many' audience structure which is a far more modern take to journalism and appeals to readers of the 'I'.
• The books recommended definitely reinforce the 'I's left wing ideologies, covering topics such as Racism, Police Brutality, Anti-War and empowerment. 

Daily Mail #2

Meghan and Harry - 'Spiteful and Inconsiderate' for not bringing Archie to the UK

Date: 06/03/20

• The story covers a comment the Queen's former press secretary said stating that it is 'Spiteful and Inconsiderate' of the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex to not bring Archie back to the UK as Prince Philip 'hasn't got long left' with a strong narrative blaming Meghan for the choice rather than considering the risks of travelling with a young child with rising worries concerning Covid 19 and the press' treatment of Meghan. It is an example of soft news as it concerns Celebrity over current affairs. 
• In relation with Galtung and Ruge's News Values theory, this story appeals to an audience due to its Familiarity and and recognisable narrative. It is not an atypical story to Daily Mail readers and is an easy read to dilute the continuous hard news, giving it an aspect of Balance. You could also apply Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory as there is an aspect of surveillance as it highlights the Duke and Duchess' timeline before they resign from senior royal duties however the more pressing appeal is the validation it offers for perhaps anti-fans of the Royal Family or people with pessimistic perspectives concerning Meghan and Harry.
• It definitely reinforces the Daily Mail's ideologies and beliefs particularly their dislike of Meghan Markle. It is also a form of clickbait as it is merely an article concerning a comment from a press secretary rather than anything substantial as the title suggests.