Americans today may question the idea of
the media being the 4th estate still being a true. Some even think that media being the
watchdog is no longer viable because of financial and political ties that constrain and allow politicians to say whatever they please. I think the following clip is a pretty good example of how the mainstream media no longer puts a check on the government:
In an article written by Bill Moyers he espouses that without a free press the future of
democracy is not a good one.
“Across
the media landscape, the health of our democracy is imperiled. Buffeted by gale
force winds of technological, political and demographic forces, without a truly
free and independent press, this 250-year-old experiment in self-government
will not make it. As journalism goes, so goes democracy.” - Bill Moyers
Besides Australia, other countries (especially in Europe) have raised similar concerns. You only have to type a few words into the google search bar to come up with a multitude of videos and news articles on the topic.
We should all be concerned with the continuing convergence of media and politics, as it blur the lines between fact and fiction. While this is by no means a call to have government and organizations completely removed from media (I mean, someone has to keep an eye on them too right?), close cooperation between these groups will - and in some cases has - lead to...well I think it was said well by a fellow blogger named Jim Worth
"What we now have, instead of news, are
corporate organizations posing as news providers, more interested in fluff and
entertainment than the issues of vital importance to an informed citizenry."
Hopefully media and government are not too involved with one another and we can have information that is based on transparency and credibility.
Sources:
The Failure of the Fourth Estate. Jim Worth. http://02d30f6.netsolhost.com/blog1/?p=2849
Is the Fourth Estate a Fifth Column? Bill Moyers. http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3790/is_the_fourth_estate_a_fifth_column
The Failure of the Fourth Estate. Jim Worth. http://02d30f6.netsolhost.com/blog1/?p=2849
Is the Fourth Estate a Fifth Column? Bill Moyers. http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3790/is_the_fourth_estate_a_fifth_column
The Media as Watchdog. Sheila S. Coronel. Harvard-World Bank
Workship. 29-31st May, 2008. JFK School of Government.
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Conference/Conference%20papers/Coronel%20Watchdog.pdf
Media Inquiry Calls for Single Watchdog. Kylie Simmons. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-02/media-inquiry-calls-for-single-watchdog/3865114
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Conference/Conference%20papers/Coronel%20Watchdog.pdf
Media Inquiry Calls for Single Watchdog. Kylie Simmons. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-02/media-inquiry-calls-for-single-watchdog/3865114
This is a hot topic right now in the news, regarding whether or not the media is going to protect or corrupt our democracy. Just like you've stated in this post, there is a blurred line between media and politics and it only takes a handful of money to get the media to say something buzzworthy about a politician. I find it interesting other countries are facing the same problems we are between the media and government. What used to be a check on the governmental branches has become a part of government itself.
ReplyDelete-Carly Grieff
As mentioned in class, the Valerie Plame case really serves as a good real world example for the failure of the media as the 4th estate. It will be interesting to see if the failure of the media being the 4th estate during the Bush administration will cause a lasting correction to the role of media, or if it will retain its partisan nature. I agree with Carly that it is interesting that this is a global problem, and I wonder if Globalization could be a potential cause of the problem.
ReplyDelete-Matthew Morris