The politics of the media: A cynical synopsis

Abstract

"The power of the pen (or keyboard nowadays) can be used to inflame conflict, justify evil, create goodness, undermine political power, 'murder' as well as destroy; inform as well as misinform. Journalists compete to master these set of social and moral dichotomies for diverse reasons: to please their bossess and thus ensure easy social mobility up the busy corporate laddar; make their stories marketable and generate public legitimacy; make a political point or two; or simply to 'survive'. This complex interplay of social and ethical dichotomies provide the basis for media politics and thus the environment within which journalists 'survive' and sometimes 'die'.

Keywords

• media role
• professionalism
• media industry
• corporate interference
• media culture
• media politics