Social Construction of the news 1

• Citizen Journalism

  News need to be up to date if companies want to survive and make profit, Reports have to be short, simple and direct therefore presentation needs to be tailored leads to infotainment.
• Bivens

  citizen journalism is transforming traditional journalism people can upload offensive, illegal or corrupt activities by politicians, celebrities and police that is not covered in mainstream media.
• What effect does this have on media?

  these stories can reach a mass audience and shape mainstream media by companies buying footage rather than sending a crew.
• Churnalism- Zakir


  Refers to churning out articles based on second hand news instead of investigating and checking news.
• What did Davies find? 


  80% of stories in big news paper companies were wholly/partly constructed from second hand material.

  Only 12% were generated by reporters.

  This routine recycling of material mainly originated from sources promoting political or commercial interest under the disguise of news.
• Advertorials- Jewell 


  branded content paid for by advertisers promoting products but pretending to be journalists news article, these were increasingly appearing on mainstream media sites.
• What do the GMG say about Gatekeeping?

  That journalists are gatekeepers, restricting the stories that are ran and the issues that are discussed in the media.
• Why do journalists gatekeep?

  1. To protect ruling class ideology
  2. To suffice audience interests
  3. Not to offend audiences if the content is too controversial.
• Examples-

  Philo- Miner strikes,

  ppl were fighting for better conditions but the journalists showed a negative angle on those striking which makes people more concerned with stopping the strikes rather than improving heath and safety laws.

  over reporting Welfare and benefit fraud,

  makes peoples opinion favour the tightening up of benefit procedures rather than tax evasion by the rich which is barely reported.
• Norm setting

  The way the media reinforce compliance with social rules and seek to isolate those who don’t through unfavourable media reports.
• How is Norm setting done?

  By encouraging conformist behaviour and discouraging non-conformist behaviour.
• Agenda setting and Gate keeping

  are forms of social control
• Folk Devils- Cohen 


  The media report on deviant behaviour and they construct a narrative which features a clear villain, they are often violent youth subcultures which starts a moral panic.
• Moral Panics- Cohen 


  Can be applied to sensationalist and over the top reactions to an issue that appears to relate to morality, which creates a deviancy amplification.

  They are generated around social groups that are threatening to the dominant social values of society.
• How do owners influence media?

  1. Rupert Merdoch- Forcing writers to obey
  2. Making products shaped around consumer demand
  3. Making products associated with western lifestyles, global conglomeration
• Why do owners want to control media?

  Because they are mainly concerned with profit which comes mostly from advertising.

  Bagdikian-

  reports aimed at not offending audiences and avoided unpopular minority stories.
• CRITICISM of moral panics- Mcrobbie and Thornton 


  suggest the concept of moral panics are less relevant in the new media age, people have become more skeptical of mainstream reporting and are less likely to believe moral panics.

  Pluralists and post modernists say that they don’t remain long enough to create a moral panic.