Nowadays, the mass media do not report the news; they make the news. Discuss this with references to recent events.
Yes, I fully agree that the mass media nowadays do not always report the news in an objective tone, but instead makes the news out with some fictitious content such that to attract readers and generate revenue in this materialistic.
An example would be the recent passing on of the richest woman in Asia, Nina Wang. News reported that she passed away leaving behind $4.2billion inheritance to her personal fortune teller, Tony Chan Chun Chuen. This was then continued by several days of speculating the relationship between Madam Nina Wang and Mr Tony Chan Chun Chuen. Why is all this unnecessary speculation happening? Why are the reporters not letting her pass on with a good name, and instead accuses of having an affair with Mr Chan? The most obvious reason would be because the readers like these gossipy news. In this way, readership would definitely move up the revenue chart, and more revenue will be generated.
Another example of the media making news is the coverage on the debate on Ministerial Pay rise. The debate raged on over several weeks and despite MM Lee made the point during the parliamentary meetings that Singapore is a very small country, and thus we require an elite and effective government that can bring us to greater achievements. It is in view of this that the ministers pay must be raised to meet the current benchmark of the working world as if the ministers’ pays are to little, a brain drain situation, where talents will choose to move to private sectors due to high pays, will occur. The end result: Singapore will sink into oblivion. Many people had sent in their views to the forum of The Straits Times. This has help them meet their expectations; By choosing to report this news over other more trivial news, such as the banning of the film about ex-political detainee (on The Straits Times on 11th April 2007), more readership and revenue have been generated.
The points I stated above are just a tip of the iceberg on how the mass media works but the undeniable fact is that making or reporting of news all comes down to one point: the news that will attract the attention of the readers and generate more revenue will get a lot of coverage by the mass media.
Labels: Nowadays, the mass media do not report the news; they make the news.
posted by BooWooB @ 4/26/2007 04:59:00 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Did you submit soft copies of your articles for this blog entry?
while i agree that the mass media nowadays create rather than report news, i feel that Singapore's case is rather unique. in my opinion, i think that it is important to note that singapore has one of the most restricted press in the world. if you were to visit the blog of this A level graduate who was featured in television a couple of times (i cant rmb her name), it is stated that news articles are being filtered many times before making their 'appearance' in local newspapers that are controlled by the government. As a result, only news which the editorial board percieves as useful to the society is being published. WHen i say useful, i mean news that cast singapore in a positive light. For instance, there is an recent article by Reuteurs that reports that Singapore is banning foreign governments from debating about our ministerial pay rise. Such an article, objective as it is, will definitely (or inevitably) cast the Singapore government in a negative light.
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