chapter 16 media (2)

8/8/2019 Chapter 16 Media (2)

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Media (2)

Chapter 16

Xiao HuiyunDecember. 2007


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Introduction

The growth of mass circulation of news-papers in Britain was a direct result of theprocess of industrialisation during the 18thand 19th centuries.During the 18th century, newspaperreadership had been largely confined to theupper classes and wealthier sections of themiddle classIn the early years the newspaper industrywas subject to a great deal of govern-mental control


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Introduction

However, in the years following theFrench Revolution (1789), a radical

press developed in Britain, concerned topropagate ideas of social reform andsocial justice.

The radical papers were developing atthe same time as the Trade Unions, andwere often used as their mouthpiecesand as a means of political education.


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National Newspapers

The GuardianThe Observer.co.ukThe Independent The Times The Sunday Times Daily TelegraphFinancial Times Daily Express Daily MailDaily Mirror Sunday Mirror Daily StarNews of The WorldThe Sun
http://www.guardian.co.uk/http://www.observer.co.uk/http://www.observer.co.uk/http://www.independent.co.uk/http://www.the-times.co.uk/http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/http://www.ft.com/http://www.express.co.uk/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/http://www.mirror.co.uk/http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/http://www.megastar.co.uk/http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/http://www.thesun.co.uk/http://www.thesun.co.uk/http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/http://www.megastar.co.uk/http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/http://www.mirror.co.uk/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/http://www.express.co.uk/http://www.ft.com/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/http://www.the-times.co.uk/http://www.independent.co.uk/http://www.observer.co.uk/http://www.observer.co.uk/http://www.guardian.co.uk/


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Ownership from Press Barons to

Media MoghulsPrivate, not public , ownershipThe press in Britain, unlike broadcasting, has

always been wholly privately owned and thus is a

commercial enterprise rather than a public service .At the beginning of 20th century newspaperownership was in the hands of powerful men, suchas Lord Northcliffe, who were known as PressBarons. They were in the newspaper business bothto make money and, to be influential .


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Ownership from Press Barons to

Media MoghulsCommercial media ownership hasincreasingly tended towards concentration

and conglomeration .News International (see p 259) is oneexample of a global multi - mediaconglomerate.

Its owner, Rupert Murdoch, also has interestsin computer software, energy and transport,as well as book publishing


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How the Press is Funded

The two main sources of revenue are :the cover price : the tabloids are cheaper

but, because of their wider circulation, alarger percentage of their revenue comesfrom this source;advertising : this is the main source of revenue for most publications


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The Code of Advertising Practice

Advertising in the press has to conform tocertain standards of the Code of AdvertisingPractice.The Codes basic principles require advertsto be:legal , honest and truthfulto observe a sense of responsibility to theconsumer and society

to conform to the principles of faircompetition as generally accepted inbusiness


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Types of Newspapers -- Range

There are 10 major national daily papers and10 major Sunday papers, and about 2,000smaller weekly papers .More national and regional daily newspapersare sold in Britain than in most otherdeveloped countries.Other examples are: Provincial Mornings ,

Local Evenings , Local weeklies , PoliticalPress , Community Press , etc


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Quality Press and Popular Press

The two types of papers are different in cost, size,content, style and purpose. P260

Quality papers -- Telegraph, Independent,Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, SundayTelegraph, Observer

Popular papers -- Sun, Mirror, Express, Mail, Star, News of the World, Sunday Mirror, Sunday Express, Mail on Sunday, Sunday People, News onSunday


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Quality Press and Popular Press

The quality papers are serious, with long informativearticles

The popular papers are less serious, contain less news

and have more human interest stories. The quality papers contain about 45 pages ), thequality papers (tabloids) about 60.Some of the quality papers have weekend magazinesupplements, with special interest articles on food,

travel and leisure activities Tabloids often contain national bingo games Some arealso famous for their photographs of topless women


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Who Reads What?

Tabloid readers areusually from the

middle or lower class,only slightly moremale readers thanfemale, clerical,skilled or unskilledworkers, unemployed,old people and

pensioners

Quality paper readersare usually from the

middle-class, professional andmanagerial jobs, moremale readers thanfemale, and more livein the South of England.


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Circulation of some

National Dailies

4. 22

3. 16

1. 761. 64

1. 131. 13

0. 44 0. 44 0. 39

0. 00

1. 00

2. 00

3. 00

4. 00

5. 00

SUN MI RROR MAI L EXPRESS EXPRESSTELEGRAPH GUARDI ANTHE TI MES I NDEPENDENT

Ci rcul at i on


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Influences on the Press

The press differs from broadcasting in the followingways:It is a self-regulating industry with no governmentalregulation.There is little regulation of content, within certainlegal constraints (see below)There is no obligation to give a balanced account

Nevertheless there are financial, professional andlegal constraints operating upon the industry (seediagram, p262)


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Influences on the Press

There is complex involvement at all levels:Owners have financial control but also have other businessinterests.Advertisers have control of their bought space.Editors, appointed by owners, select stories and newsJournalists find the stories and write the articles which arethen subject to editorial review. Editors and journalists have to take account of the laws of libel.

Newspapers do not want to alienate their readers.


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Regulation of the Press

the Press Complaints Commission -- made up of editors of newspapers and magazines and people outside the industry.It deals with complaints from the public about the contents and

conduct of the newspapers and advises editors and journalistsIt has a code of practice agreed by editors concerning journalists

behaviour, references to contentious issues such as race and religionand respect for privacy.Its aim is to try to guarantee accuracy and fairness of reporting.


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The press, politics and bias

The majority of the press in Britain shows a bias towardsconservative values in general .Because it does not have to remain neutral on political issues

it is easier to find evidence of political bias in newspapersthan in broadcasting.the national newspapers are biased towards certain politicalviews. The Daily Telegraph , the Sun , Daily Mail , and Daily

Express usually more overtly support the ConservativeParty;the Mirror and News on Sunday usually support the policiesof the Labour Party .Other papers such as the Guardian , Independent and Today occupy a middle ground in the political spectrum.


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Freedom of the press

In a free press there often arises conflict betweenthe principles of freedom of access to information

and its publication in the interests of the public,and the degree of reasonable protection for the

privacy of the individual or of the state.a) Privacy and the laws of libel the National Union of Journalists Code of Conduct ; libel laws, t he Obscene Publications


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Freedom of the press

b) Freedom of information and national security

Journalists in Britain often find that it isdifficult to report on matters of state if theGovernment feels it would be against thenational interestThe Freedom of Information Act 2000The Official Secrets Act

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