Posted on 01/18/2018 7:57:20 AM PST by Kaslin
For the news industry to thrive, it has to address their audience's low opinion of their work product and make it better. While the First Amendment provides freedom of the press, it does not address the potential bias of those who work in the press, or what control the press might have. It does not address how that bias might change news into opinion, nor does it address the distinction between news and commentary. The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."
So government can't control the press. The press has the ability to determine what to focus on as well as how to phrase, position and promote their coverage. With opinion writers (such as myself) or show hosts, it's easy to see and understand the political bias that events are viewed through. With those who "report" the news, it gets a bit more difficult. It becomes more important to see what was covered, what was left out and the perspective from which it was viewed and created from.
For example, the White House held an event this Tuesday: "A Conversation with the Women of America." During this event, a panel discussion was held. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders called on Sharon LeVell -- the owner of Dunwoody Diamonds USA, in Dunwoody, Georgia, and a woman of color -- for a comment.
"I'm a jewelry store owner of more than 20 years in the Atlanta area, so I'm ecstatic about the tax reform bill," Sharon said. One can imagine in other administrations, this praise for a recent policy victory would get wide press coverage, especially from a woman of color. Instead, the press is focusing on color commentary regarding comments made by President Trump last week.
In today's news, it appear that color commentary trumps comments by a woman of color.
The continued focus of the media on comments rather than facts and policy, and the inability of the public to easily distinguish between the two, has eroded the public trust in the industry. This past Tuesday, the Knight Foundation released the 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation Survey on Trust, Media and Democracy, (19,000 U.S. adults, 95 percent confidence level, +/- 1 percent). The results are sad but not surprising.
The summary stated, "Most Americans believe it is now harder to be well-informed and to determine which news is accurate. They increasingly perceive the media as biased and struggle to identify objective news sources. They believe the media continue to have a critical role in our democracy but are not very positive about how the media are fulfilling that role."
The news media has an important job, but they are just not doing it currently. "By 58 percent to 38 percent, Americans say it is harder rather than easier to be informed today due to the plethora of information and news sources available."
More information and more sources of information are leading to information overload rather than providing clarity for information consumers. In 1984, the year I graduated high school, 42 percent of Americans thought that the news media did not do a good job of separating fact from opinion.
In the past 33 years, that number has increased more than 50 percent. "Today, 66 percent of Americans say most news media do not do a good job of separating fact from opinion." Additionally, "More Americans have a negative (43 percent) than a positive (33 percent) view of the news media," based on the Gallup/ Knight Survey.
When you look at the patterns, more conservatives and republicans are skeptical or critical of news coverage, which is not surprising. What is surprising is that the youngest group (18 to 29 year olds) hold the lowest regard for the media. This disapproval rate declines as each age group gets older. Those in the 65 and older category only have a 39 percent unfavorable opinion. Still nothing to report about -- and no doubt the media will ignore the report.
What does this mean? The media industry is going to have to change the way it operates if it is still planning on being relevant in the future. It's not enough to claim you are reporting news, it's important that those who read, listen or watch the news believe you are reporting news, and not simply providing color commentary - unless or course that's your job. The important part is to clearly distinguish between the two.
Fire Lemon. Fire Acosta. Fire Ms Snotty what’s her face on CNN. Actually, just cancel CNN. The quality of American Media would improve overnight.
The media, as currently constituted are incapable of critical self examination. They are sure they are smarter than the average American, and they are also sure they are right in their opinions.
This is a case where the only way the media will change is if it dies.
I think the author ought to revisit just how scurrilous, biased and ‘out of control’ the press was around two hundred years ago or so.
The whole concept of an ‘unbiased’ press would have laughable; newspapers were partisan as hell. Elections of 1820, 1824, Andrew Jackson blamed the press for his wife’s death, IIRC.
The method is to breakup the various corporate conglomerates and make the press stand on it’s own.
Comcast is an american enemy that must be destroyed, burned to the ground
Some are suggesting that the Main Stream Media can be sued for consumer fraud, as they misrepresent their product as factual.
The whole concept of an ‘unbiased’ press would have laughable; newspapers were partisan as hell. Elections of 1820, 1824, Andrew Jackson blamed the press for his wife’s death, IIRC.
I think we are heading back to a partisan media, where everyone has a viewpoint, and the viewpoint is acknowledged.
Maybe they should be.
New rule : If Trump calls out self ordained ‘Media/press’ organizations (just another wing of the Dem party) for reporting/exposing lies that they report about him its a ‘Stalinistic threat to democracy’.
So nice of Sen Jeff Flake to point this out so that Dems dont have to,
What would we do without Flake, McCain and Graham?
It’s turned into State Run Media , only it’s not run by the State
Every news item must have a confirmed, legitimate and reveal-able source. The public and the government should be able to sue when the news is fake. I don’t think they should be able to use the Constitution to spread whatever crap they want, it must be true.
After every purported “news” story on CBS This Morning, and understanding the story is always skewed against Trump, Gayle King typically adds a “color” comment, again it is always anti-Trump.
I mean, these people are not reporters, they are Left wing activist “actors”.
If you’ve ever read newspaper accounts of the Presidential Election of 1864 it was brutal. Papers were calling Lincoln a blood thirsty monkey ape etc and some of the cartoons down right nasty. And these were Northern newspapers.
You’d have to go all the back to Jefferson to find a President with worse relationship with the press as Trump has now.
“It’s turned into State Run Media , only it’s not run by the State”
If what Rush says is correct, the State is run by the Media now. MSM holds the power.
“Fire Lemon. Fire Acosta. Fire Ms Snotty what’s her face on CNN. Actually, just cancel CNN. The quality of American Media would improve overnight.”
With the AT&T and TWC merger, it is a possibility that CNN can be sold or even closed down.
We have freedom of the press but the press does not have the freedom to commit fraud.
If what Rush says is correct, the State is run by the Media now. MSM holds the power.
We have been living in a mediacracy. The Media decided who could be in Congress and who could not. They decided what the important things would be for the country. They decided what was a scandal and what was not.
Finally there was enough alternate media to challenge them.
Trump had the moxie and the will to carry off a campaign in defiance of the Media.
The media (with very few exceptions) is a mass marketing cartel, and no longer qualifies as a Constitutionally protected “press.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.