The Media and its Moral Values when Faced with Political Pressure

(408 Words)
Does the media have moral values when faced with the pressure of lobbyists, government officials and other political forces? The answer is not clear cut. Different organizations present news in a much more objective manner than others. While some can resist these pressures, other organizations make reporting decisions based on these pressures.
According to Michael Schudson from the Department of Communication, University of California, there are three approaches that researchers may use when looking at the influence of political pressures on the media. Perspectives based on political economy may look at the ownership of media and news companies in repressive and liberal states. Social organization and reporter/source interaction are the focus of a second approach. Finally the third approach looks at how culture can cause news writing to contain values and beliefs.
In some cases, a media organization will bow to political pressure because those in the organization agree with those in power. They may choose to report in a less than subjective manner because of their own political beliefs. In this case, they may not feel like their morals are compromised because they are reporting in what they believe. They may be neglecting the fact that a media organization should be above all objective. They may therefore bow to the pressures that represent their beliefs but withstand those that do not.
In certain cases, morality is ignored when submitting to political pressures. Sometimes it is for financial gain. Other times there are literal threats that accompany the pressure. Commonly, the media organization is offered some favor in return for favorable reporting. It may be the promotion of a certain person to a post, a contract or another such incentive.
Of course, a media organization does not have morals itself. The morals of the people running it will influence how the political pressure plays out. In some organizations, the people at the top have very strong morals. They may refuse to bow to any political pressure within their organization, no matter what source it comes from. In other cases, the morality of the top people will be more in question. They may bow to any political pressure. It may be for their own benefit or just because it is easy.
It is important for watchdog organizations and media consumers to be aware of the political pressures that media organizations may face and their responses. With more transparency, consumers will better be able to get the most accurate information.