The media constructs views of the real world for society to interpret and understand. Although, the media just doesn’t present us with a reality; they represent it. News media presents aspects of the world in a certain way, some of which are not always truthful. These constructions serve a purpose. News Media presents us with different versions of reality, which can hold truth but also serve a certain objective. This essay will debate to what extant does the news media present an objective and truthful representation of reality. This will be illustrated through the representation of society in the news media, Herman & Chomsky’s Propaganda Model, the notion of which the news media as a mirror, realism, and constructivism. Hallin’s Spheres of
…show more content…
This sees that the meaning of events is self-evident; that the facts illustrate the story independently without bias and influence. The ideology that argues the news media to be a mirror of the world assumes that journalists and their news reporting is impartial and balanced, that their stories will be an objective, accurate and truthful representation of reality. Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who is responsible for releasing the information leaked by Edward Snowden argues …show more content…
Issues of war and conflict are easily deemed unimportant in news media if the news do not develop attention and resinate with Western interests. New Reporting on issues of conflict is an important element of representation of the world around us. The media seems to conceal why the news focuses on some wars more than others. As Boyd-Barrett (2004) argues that this is because “the media typically covers wars from the point of view of the country they and their major owners and readers are based, reflecting on the point of view of that country’s government and its foreign policy elites” (p.29). This perspective can also lead news reporting to illustrate the ideals of propaganda. For instance, the conflict in the Middle East saw many western news media outlets present Saddem Hussein as a ‘bogeyman’ figure; this saw $100billion of United States arms sold to neighbouring Middle Eastern nations (Cromwell, 2002). This is seen as the notion of the enemy as identified in the final filter of Herman & Chomsky’s ‘Propaganda Model’. Such selective tactics are used is, Cromwell (2002) explains “justifying strategic geopolitical manoeuvring…while mollifying home-based critics of such behaviour” (para. 12). Consequently, governments and high powered media managers have the influence to adapt and shape the media’s representations of war and conflict to fit a certain perspective. This can lead to a challenging
This sees that the meaning of events is self-evident; that the facts illustrate the story independently without bias and influence. The ideology that argues the news media to be a mirror of the world assumes that journalists and their news reporting is impartial and balanced, that their stories will be an objective, accurate and truthful representation of reality. Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who is responsible for releasing the information leaked by Edward Snowden argues …show more content…
Issues of war and conflict are easily deemed unimportant in news media if the news do not develop attention and resinate with Western interests. New Reporting on issues of conflict is an important element of representation of the world around us. The media seems to conceal why the news focuses on some wars more than others. As Boyd-Barrett (2004) argues that this is because “the media typically covers wars from the point of view of the country they and their major owners and readers are based, reflecting on the point of view of that country’s government and its foreign policy elites” (p.29). This perspective can also lead news reporting to illustrate the ideals of propaganda. For instance, the conflict in the Middle East saw many western news media outlets present Saddem Hussein as a ‘bogeyman’ figure; this saw $100billion of United States arms sold to neighbouring Middle Eastern nations (Cromwell, 2002). This is seen as the notion of the enemy as identified in the final filter of Herman & Chomsky’s ‘Propaganda Model’. Such selective tactics are used is, Cromwell (2002) explains “justifying strategic geopolitical manoeuvring…while mollifying home-based critics of such behaviour” (para. 12). Consequently, governments and high powered media managers have the influence to adapt and shape the media’s representations of war and conflict to fit a certain perspective. This can lead to a challenging