Effects of news media

Effects of News Media Derrick Bryant HUM/186 July 17, 2012 Andrea Singor Effects of News Media Information and news media have affected American culture even before the twentieth century. Before the Internet the only forms of mass media was the television, the radio, and the newspaper. Media is a tool used to get out a lot of information to as many people as possible. In today’s society we have the internet to provide us with the latest breaking news. The internet also provides use with breaking news around world. The job of a journalist is to make sure they get accurate accounts of what ever story they are reporting about. According to a Case Study, “ All news is biased, News, after all, is primarily selective storytelling, not objective science. Editors choose certain events to cover and ignore; reporters choose particular words or images to use and reject others” (Media and Culture p 424). News can be considered biased with selective storytelling. News reporting should be based on facts and science. Reports should get both sides of a story before it is presented to the public. The information media is not for entertainment purposes but to provide the public with correct and accurate information. Even in today’s society most Americans believed that most news sources are biased. Depending on how fast Journalist wants to get their story out to the public they may not have all the facts. What has changed is the ways the news is covered concerning political coverage. Today reporters use a political balance work ethic. This is a very simple approach. If interview one political party, you have to also interview the other political party. This creates political balance for both parties. This way people can hear both sides and decide who will be the best in that political position. A good example is the upcoming presidential election in November. Print and Television news can be updated trough breaking news online. What this means to the public is whoever has access to the internet do not have to wait for comments about a story. This allows readers to see full interviews of a story rather than selected quotes. Online news reporting does have its disadvantages. For example if a journalist decides to do an interview by an email not in person. Readers may not get the entire truth. Another problem with the Internet is that Journalist can copy someone else’s work and resubmit it. Because of the rise digital age and the demands that convergence have made on reporting and writing stories. As stated in Today’s print Journalist at newspaper (and magazines) “ is expected to carry digital cameras so they can post video along with their stories. ” As we shift from a print society to the electronic era. Journalists have to take a different approach towards news reporting. For example breaking news on the television, and the Internet often captures more powerful stories than any words written on paper. Reporters should report the facts with an objective opinion. This will help the public to make an inform decision on what is reported. Most Journalist view themselves as being neutral when gathering the facts before writing stories. In the case of the first presidential race between Barrack Obama and the former president George Bush conservatives said that Barrack Obama got favorable press. According to, Evan Thomas of Newsweek Magazine, “ The suspicions of press bias come from two assumptions or beliefs that public holds about news media: The first is that reporters are out to get their subjects. The second is that press is too close to their subjects” (Media and Culture, Ch. 7). Journalists do have a Code of Ethics that they should go by. Before any story is printed they should have all the facts. They should avoid any conflict when investigating a story. Journalist should not comprise their integrity and always remain free of accusations. References University Of Phoenix. (2012). Media AND CULTURE. Retrieved from University Of Phoenix, HUM/186 website.