http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2016/09/elections-media-160916141606631.html
Sep 17, 2016 – We explore how a lack of regulation and absence of a strong public broadcaster has impacted the coverage of US politics.
1- Where is the reporter? Why is this place symbolic?
Time Square, New York> at the heart of the entertainment industry.
2- What has been said about the US election media coverage?
Private details / anecdotes / scandals / gossips > entertaining / gossipy / trashy / unreliable ( can’t rely on it )
Not trustworthy (can’t trust / not worth trusting) Ex. The Times can be trusted whereas The Sun can’t.
Content / tone / ideology too much info so focus on the structure / how the system works.
3- According to the reporter, what is responsible for that?
Unique structural elements in the US system:
- There are no public channels / broadcasting system in the US
> Broadcasters can be ideologically and editorially biased / ‘orientés’
- There’s no censorship
Fox news broadcasts information in favour of the Republicans. / Right Wing / Conservatives while MSNBC supports the Left Wing / the Democrats.
They are all ‘corporate-controlled’ = owned by private companies.
Public channels cannot compete with private channels.
PBS and NPR (equivalent of BBC) are the only US channels that have educational purposes instead of money-oriented programs.
The news is regulated / each channel has to show different sides of the same issue to guarantee a fair report of world events. Contrary to other countries, in the US, the news coverage is biased.
Take notes of element related to the history of the US media broadcasting system.
- KEY DATES:
1943 Communication Act : left no room for public broadcasting. It focused on ADVERTISING and entertainment ( i. e : money & profit )
Followed by historical battle won by lobbies who locked their control over radio and TV.
Attempts at finding a compromise and introduce education programs between 1940s and 1960s.
1949 the FAIRNESS DOCTRINE aims to regulate media coverage. If companies wanted to keep their license, they had to provide more sides of the story.
1967 – Public Broadcast Act saw the creation of NPR and PBS to inform, educate and inspire.
1980s – Deregulation waves.
1996 under Bill Clinton – end of cross ownership restrictions / Rupert Murdoch bought more than one newspaper / 96% of American media are owned by 6 major companies called ‘the Big 6’
- Who profits from it? What American ethos is at the heart of the decision?
Public broadcasting services (NPR & PBS ) suffered from lack of funding and limited audience. It became less and less independent.
Democracy is at stake here. On one hand, Republicans and D. Reagan believe that as a medium for freedom of speech, US media coverage shouldn’t be handled by government.
The belief that less government interference is at the center of the American ethos, freedom of enterprise and freedom of speech / non-governmental involvement.
But at the same time, privately owned broadcasting companies mirror their owner’s political views so if people can’t make up their minds, they are influenced.
- How does it affect US elections?
Hate rethorics / political bias and ‘rage politics’ are booming.
Bee O'Clock 