I recently read Ian Hargreaves book, Journalism: A Very Short Introduction, and found the challenges to journalists, especially American journalists, fascinating. One section stood out to me. The United States ensures its citizens with freedom of speech and freedom of the press. But when journalists are employed by corporations and the corporations receive their money from advertising, journalists often feel compelled to "self-censorship" their work. According to a survey referenced to by Hargreaves in 2000 of 300 journalists, self-censorship was reported due to pressure from advertisers. Over a third said 'news which would hurt the financial interests of a news organization goes unreported'. A survey from the year before relayed that journalists felt they couldn't be as accurate with their work due to the pressure to "make a profit." Sounds like freedom isn't necessarily free. "News is what someone wants suppressed. Everything else is advertising." Katherine Graham.
[1 quote, 1 link, 1 photo, 149 words]
Comentários