Professional Responsibility Model & Defects of Traditional Perspective

Zameer Hassan

M.PHIL Communication Studies

BZU Multan

5/30/2013 1

Media Democracy

• Media democracy is a set of ideas advocatingreforming the mass media.

5/30/2013 2

A media democracy advocates

• Replacing the current libertarian media model with one that operates democratically, rather than for profit.

• Strengthening Public Service Broadcasting

• Use of alternative media into the larger discourse. Alternative media channels :

Newspapers, Radio, Television, Magazines, Movies, INTERNET etc

5/30/2013 3

A media democracy advocates

• Increasing the role of citizen journalism..

• Turning a passive audience into active participants.

• Using the mass media to promote democratic ideals.

5/30/2013 4

Classical Liberalism & Modern Liberalism

Classical Liberalism • Limited government involvement

• Capitalist society

• Individual property rights

• Individualism

5/30/2013 5

Modern Liberalism

• Government involvement

• Cradle to Grave welfare

• Free Market(free market allows any one to publish an opinion who wishes to.)

• Free trade (WTO)

5/30/2013 6

Commission on Freedom of the Press

• Hutchins commission and the RoyalCommission of the Press concluded thatmedia professionalism was the solution toshortcoming.

• Journalist were urged to adopt the mental ofprofessions. From this media would be able tofulfill its informational role and serve thepublic interest.

5/30/2013 7

THE HUTCHINS’COMMISSION REPORT “CODE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY”

• A forum for the exchange of comment and criticism

• The projection of a representative picture of the constituent groups in the society

• The presentation and clarification of the goals and values of the society

5/30/2013 8

Professional Responsibility Model

• Professionalism means that journalists first duty is to serve the public

• Journalist should act as a counterweight to forces, both internal and external, that threaten the integrity of media.

• Including the controllers of media combines, advertisers, publicities and government.

5/30/2013 9

Professional Responsibility Model

• Media professionalism seems to be defining the role of media in a way that will assist people to make up their minds for themselves.

• Professionalism is thus seemingly a philosophy of empowerment rather than control.

5/30/2013 10

Professional Responsibility Model

• Professionalism reconcile market flaws with the traditional conception of the democratic role of media.

• It asserts journalists commitment to higher goals- neutrality , detachment, a commitment to truth.

5/30/2013 11

Professional Responsibility Model

• It involves the adoption of certain procedures for verifying facts, drawing on different Sources.

• Market pressures to sensationalize and trivialize the presentation of news could be offset by commitment to inform

5/30/2013 12

Professional Responsibility Model

• Professionalism is not assured with in the media organization which do not have as their central goal the realization of professional norms.

• Professionalism is also vulnerable because it is not clear on what basis it is justified.

• Journalists have an ambiguous status.

5/30/2013 13

Professional Responsibility Model

• In sum ideology of professionalism does not provide an adequate way of realizing the democratic role of media.

• Professional commitments need structures to support them.

• The code of professionalism is itself ambiguous.

• This ambiguous make an unresolved debate about the democratic role of media.

5/30/2013 14

Defects of Traditional Perspective

5/30/2013 15

1st Defect

• The role of media is define in term of briefing thevoter, affording a conduit of communicationbetween government and the citizen, andproviding the basis on which public opinion isformed.

• It hark back to an almost pre-industrial conceptionof polity.

5/30/2013 16

1st Defect

• In modern liberal democracies, individualsseek to advance their interests, look forprotection, and try to influence public opinionand government through collectiveorganization such as political parties ,tradeunions, business associations and structuresof civil society.

5/30/2013 17

1st Defect

• These are the building blocks of thecontemporary democratic system.

• Traditional liberal theory has nothing to say about how the media should relate to these ,enhance their democratic performance.

5/30/2013 18

2nd Defect

• It maintain an artificial and justified distinction between Information and Representation.

• It does this by detaching information from its political and social context.

• Rival political parties consequently vie witheach other at election time to getbroadcasters to make their issues thedominant themes of election coverage.

5/30/2013 19

2nd Defect

• Traditionalists argue that the media should mediate conflict through the determination of accurate information and contrary opinion.

• In reality a process of Manipulation in whichone class or social coalition is able tonaturalize and universalize its interestsbecause it dominates the channels of culturalproduction.

5/30/2013 20

3rd defect

• It fails to distinguish between the legal right to publish, and economic opportunity to do so

Reasons

• Limitations on market entry.

• Restrict individual freedom of expression.

• Freedom of group expression.

5/30/2013 21

THANKS…….

5/30/2013 22