Effects of News Media

Does information media have social responsibility?
Social responsibility is an ethical framework that calls for individuals and
organizations to act in a manner that serves the greater good of the society (Ogbebor, 2020).
Information media has social responsibility. Even though journalists are free to report
whatever they want, they have to exercise that freedom in a responsible manner. For instance,
when a journalist is covering a sensitive story, such as one involving drug cartels, they should
not include names of their informants in the reporting of the story because including names of
informants may put their lives at risk. In this example, the journalist exercises their freedom
of reporting a story that they believe is of interest to the public. However, they are also aware
that they are responsible for the safety of their informants and, therefore, take appropriate
steps to protect them.
What is the role of the information and news media in the shaping of political opinions?
Information and news media play and major role in shaping political opinions. Their
power to shape political opinion is derived from the fact that most citizens learn about
government and politics primarily from the media (Hsiao & Radnitz, 2020). There are two
main ways through which news media shape political opinions. The first one is through the
slant of their reporting (Hsiao & Radnitz, 2020). Through reporting a given politician,
political party or issue favorably or unfavorably, news media can make the public to either
develop a favorable or unfavorable view of the politician, political party, or important public
issue. For instance, if a news media constantly reports that climate change is an existential
threat to humanity, the audience of the media are likely to start believing that indeed climate
change is an existential threat. Apart from slant of reporting, news media can also shape
political opinions through the stories that they choose to cover. For instance, if a news media

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regularly covers crime stories in a given city, its audience in that city is likely to start
considering security a top political issue.
How have electronic media and their convergence transformed journalism and news
consumption?
Convergence of electronic media involves merging of various mass communication
outlets, such as television, internet, print, and radio through digital media platforms.
Electronic media convergence allows users to enjoy dynamic experience and convenience as
they are able to access content from various media forms in one platform (Balbi, 2017). Even
though it has increased convenience with which audiences receive information, electronic
media convergence has also led to information overload. The other problem with media
convergence is that it puts all eggs in one basket. Thus, when a consumer has network
problem, they cannot access news. For journalists, media convergence allows them to deliver
news and information quickly to large segments of their audience (Balbi, 2017). They can
also easily interact with their audiences in ways that were previously difficult.
How are standards in journalism still relevant and important in today’s media, opinion,
and media-saturated world?
In today’s world, anyone can be a source of news and information. There are multiple
platforms that allow people to act as journalists. From social media pages to blogs and
YouTube channels, there is no limit to platforms that one can use to disseminate news and
information. In such an environment, traditional media houses and journalists have found
themselves competing for space with non-journalists. Unlike non-journalists, journalists often
have to make sure that the news and information that they are disseminating is reliable and
comes from sources that can be trusted (Bentivegna & Marchetti, 2018). As a result, they are
often slower to disseminate news and information to their audiences compared to lay people

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who often do not adhere to journalistic standards. Due to these factors, there have been
arguments that today’s media environment makes journalistic standards outdated. This is a
wrong view. Journalistic standards are still important because audiences still rely on
journalists for reliable and authentic news that they can trust (Bentivegna & Marchetti, 2018).
Even when they first receive a given piece of news from a lay person, the public often verify
the reliability or authenticity of the piece of news by checking traditional media outlets for
similar news.
What role does satire have in the news today? How have programs and websites such as
The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Onion provided a separate space for
commentary on the news and news providers?
Satirical shows and websites are increasingly becoming a major source of news for
large sections of the American public. The main impact of the shows and websites has been
to generate political interest among their audiences, which are mainly young, male, and
liberal (McClennen & Maisel, 2016). Research has shown that watching the shows increases
one’s inclination to participate in various political activities, such as voter registration and
participating in political protests. Additionally, it has been found that as a result of the
interest that the shows generate, audience members often seek out additional news
information from other sources, including traditional media sources (McClennen & Maisel,
2016). Thus, through infusing comedy and satire in their commentary on news, satirical
shows and websites have been able to significantly increase interest in politics among their
audiences in a manner that traditional media sources may have never been able to.

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References

Balbi, G. (2017). Deconstructing “media convergence”: A cultural history of the buzzword,
1980s–2010s. In Media Convergence and Deconvergence (pp. 31-51). Palgrave
Macmillan, Cham.
Bentivegna, S., & Marchetti, R. (2018). Journalists at a crossroads: Are traditional norms and
practices challenged by Twitter? Journalism, 19(2), 270-290.
Hsiao, Y., & Radnitz, S. (2020). Allies or Agitators? How Partisan Identity Shapes Public
Opinion about Violent or Nonviolent Protests. Political Communication, 1-19.
McClennen, S., & Maisel, R. (2016). Is satire saving our nation? Mockery and American
politics. Springer.
Ogbebor, B. (2020). Media Policy, Democracy and Theories of the Press. In British Media
Coverage of the Press Reform Debate (pp. 53-75). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.