If America needed an eye-opener about their use of the media
they certainly got it 58 years ago to this day. In 1958, American broadcast
journalist, Ed Murrow, read a speech which intended to leave Americans to reconsider
their approach to media. Television in particular can be a positive such as ‘inspiring’
the audience to fulfil ones potential. However Murrow explains how the ‘mass
media reflects’ the audience which is a worry as they can depict what the audience
believes in.
As a result of the advertising revenue, CBS practice in
self-regulation and censorship that Murrow mentions. The fact that censorship
occurs limits to what the audience can see and media are picking and choosing
what they air. Whilst they decide what they air this is what the audience sees
as the denotation. Murrow wants the audience to look beyond this, as the
co-dependence of news and TV as a whole link to provide viewings which could be
seen as entertainment rather than informative.
In today’s day and age these constraints are still here as
they were in the past. Viewers are like customers to these news outlets, they
only show what makes them run. The demand and what earns them views and of
course finance is what new corporations look upon. An example is this year’s
elections. Of course the news should show everything about the Elections
however I believe they are focusing more on Donald Trump than any of the other
candidates running for President. During the Primaries it was either Trump vs
Rubio or Trump vs Cruz etc. and now that they have ended they are now focusing
upon Trump and Hillary Clinton. Trump makes controversial comments but it earns
views for the news outlets which is financially motivational. As disappointing as
it is, that is how the media works.
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