News is not simply reported by the media, it is created by the media-Discuss

Essay by deliriumUniversity, Master's January 2003

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"The 'content' of the newspapers is not fact about the world, but in a very general sense 'ideas'." Fowler

(Roger Folwer - Language in the News - Routledge - 1991 - Pg.1)

In today's society it would be naïve to assume that the news we receive is unbiased. It is safe to say

the facts are reported if someone is murdered, the story maybe covered in the news, but the placement

of the piece, emotive language used, duration or any other factors involved would immediately inform

the audience to the merit of the story. In effect dictating to the viewer the version of reality 'they.,' the

media/government want us, the audience to see. The factors that govern what is reported are news

valves and as it is recognised that this code of conduct exists we can, I personally feel, say that the

media can, and does, reflect the political agenda or climate.

The question of the news being created has been a topic of discussion since the dawn of

media studies. There are several different political theories or traditions of thought. The three I have

chosen to concentrate on are the liberal, Marxist and pluralist theories. All to some extent see society

as maintainable, they agree that the structure of society can be altered not by personal level events but

by major structures, such as legalisation and reform. To understand each theory better we must first

look at how each theory or idea is applied to our society and in this case the construction of the news,

starting first with liberalism. This body of thought was established by the end of the eighteenth-century.

It's economic theories favour the development of capitalism, seeing society as a group of 'rational

individuals in pursuit of their self-interest.' Direction from the state is not...