24 The Role of the Media

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24 The Role of the Media

• Mohammed Sameer

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The Roles of the Media

• To inform
• To educate
• To provide a forum for various points of views
  and
• To entertain.

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1. Dissemination of Information

• Providing The News recent events and
  happenings, within the country and outside it,
  which are felt to be of interest to the general
  population.
• Advertising paid for by the individuals,
  organisations or companies who want to reach the
  general public.
• Services Messages reaching out to people who
  dont have access to mails and telephones.

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2. Education

• Teaching people about things, or providing
  information which is not strictly news.
• Formal Education eg. Radios broadcasting for
  schools.
• Non-Formal Education educate the general public
  about a wide range of topics and issues.

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NFE Newspapers Magazines

• Features section generally these provide
  background to particular news story.
• For example
• the life story of Ratu Mata published on the
  occasion of his death.
• recipes and new ways of preparing food.
• Advice to gardeners and farmers on crop
  protection.

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NFE Radio and Television

• Documentaries.
• Examples
• Beyond 2000.
• ??

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3. Comment and Balance

• - to provide different points of view to be
  heard.
• Media watchdog of society ? the role of
  pointing out where things seem to be going wrong.
• Letters to the editor or talk-back shows allow
  for the public to participate.

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4. Entertainment

• Music
• Comics
• Sports
• Crossword puzzles
• Serials/dramas
• Quiz
• Etc

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Free Press

• Free Press the media theoretically can print or
  broadcast whatever they want to, without being
  subject to government or other control.
• FP also implies that people have the right to
  now whatevers going inside as well as outside a
  country.

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Censorship

• The suppression of all or part of a book, film,
  news report or radio or television program which
  is thought to be objectionable on moral,
  political, military, religious or other grounds.
• What bits of information do you think the media
  might be required to censor?

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Self-Censorship

• - refers to the practice by which media
  organisations censor themselves i.e. they
  choose not to publish something
• National security issue.
• Fear of Government censorship.
• Offensive material.
• Not newsworthy uninteresting.

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Selectivity

• Similar to self-censorship.
• Media organisations choose what to print or
  broadcast and what not to.
• Self-censorship has positive connotations while
  selectivity doesnt.
• The media is very powerful what does this
  mean?