Social construction of news Flashcards
What do traditional Pluralists argue about journalists?
They are objective and impartial pursuers of the news?
What could the journalists behaviour be due to according to traditional Pluralists?
Laws - libel (allows people to prosecute if they’ve been lied to/represented in an inaccurate way) which includes official secrets act (prevents media from covering news stories which release information that poses a threat to the security/interests o the state)
What do Neo Pluralists argue about journalists in contemporary society?
They do not check the accuracy of facts so they may not show accurate news coverage
What does Davies argue?
There has been a rise in churnalism - journalists rely too much on ‘fact’ give to them by government spin doctors and public relation experts without questioning the accuracy
What does Davies argument show?
News can be socially constructed by some individuals in society
How do Traditional Marxists agree with Neo Pluralists?
That journalists don’t check the accuracy of facts
What do traditional Marxists add the Neo Pluralists debate?
Media is part of the ideological state - media companies select news based on a conscious decision to promote capitalist values - can be achieved through gatekeeper - they ensure stories fit with the policies agreed by the media owners or managers
What does media being part of the ideological state show?
How media can be socially constructed in order to benefit the ruling class
What do Neo Marxists agree with?
Capitalists values are transmitted
What does Neo Marxists argument show?
If news is socially constructed, it may be unintentional
What are the two forms of news provision which can be factual or opinion based according to Pluralists?
News reports - tend to be accurate
News comments - may show more bias because it involves journalists interpreting and evaluating an event
According to Marxists, what do news produces have a vested interest i? what does this cause?
Maintaining capitalism
The news they select to be transmitted is based on a conscious decision to promote capitalists values
News stories which are in favour of the rich and powerful are widely covered whereas stories which show a threat to this power are ignored/ridiculed
What is agenda setting?
Deciding which topics are covered - done by editors etc
What are gatekeepers?
Those who ensure that the stories covered in their newspaper/TV programme fit with the policies agreed with owners and managers - determine which news stories are covered to rejected
What do hegemonic/Neo Marxists believe?
Those in the media don’t necessarily intentionally show news which supports capitalism, but this still goes on due to the backgrounds of most senior journalists and editors
What do Marxists mainly focus on?
Social class factors constructing news
What are news values?
The criteria used by journalists and editors when deciding upon which stories are newsworthy - they may vary between different newspapers/broadcasters
How is drama a news value? Name an example
Anything that is dramatic/extreme is likely to get covered - Murder young boy by alligator
How is immediacy and actuality a news value? Name an example
News stories are more likely to be covered if they have very recently happened and are accompanied by ‘live reports’ from journalists - new technology has made this process easier
Snapchat video of Orlando shooting 2016
How is Personalities a news value? Name an example
News about important people and celebrities
Queens 90th birthday
How is proximity a news value? Name an example
News stories focusing on things about Britain/followed by countries where we have close ties with
Paris attacks had more coverage compared to Turkey bombings
Name a factor that can also be influenced by proximity?
Financial constraints - some news is not able to be covered abroad as easily due to it being further way and so more expensive
How has citizen journalism changed the factor proximity?
In contemporary society, it as made wider new coverage more accessible and so may not be as big of a factor as it was
