The role of the media

Question 1

What is ‘old media’?

Answer 1

• newspaper, magazines, etc (aka the ‘print media’ or ‘the press’)
• TV, radio (“the broadcast media”)

Question 2

What is ‘new media’?

Answer 2

• internet/websites
• social media

Question 3

Describe the definition of media

Answer 3

• media is the plural of the word ‘medium’
• medium literally means in the middle

Question 4

Define media (in detail)

Answer 4

• politicians say something
• they want people to hear it
• but unless the politician calls a public meeting to tell them they will not know, however, even if they did, the numbers who would hear the message would be very small
• so, how do the people know what politicians are doing/saying?
• because there is an institution ‘in the middle’ - between - politicians & the media that tells the people what politicians are up to
• this institution is the media; this makes the media very powerful - what do they choose to report, not report, how to report it, etc (& why)
• arguably, they control the flow of information on which people make political decisions or form political opinions

Question 5

What are the UK rules for TV & radio (broadcast media)? Is it allowed a balance or bias? What does this mean?

Answer 5

• balanced
• cannot take sides politically e.g. on the TV news - & regulated by OFCOM i.e. the broadcaster RT backed by the Kremlin was fined £200k by OFCOM because of its biased reporting of the Salisbury poisonings

Question 6

What are the UK rules for newspapers, magazines, etc (print media/the press)? Is it allowed a balance or bias? What does this mean?

Answer 6

• no requirement for balance
• can take sides politically (& they take full advantage of this)
• rules about how they behave i.e. the Levenson Report

Question 7

Briefly describe the Levenson Report

Answer 7

• it is an independent regulatory body for how the press should be established
• it takes an active role in promoting high standards, including having the power to investigate serious breaches & sanction newspapers
• it is backed by legislation; this legislation is designed to assess whether it is doing its job properly
• the legislation would have the opportunity to enshrine (set out) a legal duty on the government to protect the freedom of the press

Question 8

What are the UK rules for new media (internet based media & social media)? Is it allowed a balance or bias? What does this mean?

Answer 8

no requirement for balance

Question 9

What are the ‘broadsheets’?

Answer 9

• they cost more to buy & are low in circulation
• e.g. The Times (pro-con), Daily Telegraph (pro-con), The Guardian (anti-con but sometimes pro-Lab & sometimes pro-Lib Dem)

Question 10

What are the ‘quality tabloids’?