Blog 3 (due midnight Sunday 6/25)
Large corpporations that own many companies other than newspapers might have a tendency to make purely business decisions that affect journalistic ethical standards. A conglomerate that has entertainment holdings might use the newspaper to promote its other businesses, or try to keep the papers they own from writing negative stories about them. So should we be afraid of conglomerates?
I think we should not be afraid of conglomerates. The negative thing here is that they can affect journalistic ethical standards by making use of the less scary recommendable to make money. But they use their structure to make the business more profitable for the company. They are entitled to use the newspapers to advertise their business. Made a negative report on others to have the monopoly of the market is not so bad. It's all about business and the others will do it too. The most important thing is that, the information they disclose will have to be correct and true.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that the purpose of newspapers, radio stations and TV stations is to make money. They are a business. However, media outlets do have a responsibility that sometimes must rise above being a business. That why the press is the only profession specifically mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. Freedom of the Press is essential.
DeleteA conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations or companies joined with different assets to be more powerful. As we can see, they do earn society in many businesses including sometimes newspapers. I think that people should be afraid of conglomerates. In fact, they can abuse of their power to make the newspapers say what they want people to know or see. It is true that one of the code of ethics for journalism is to seek truth and report it to audiences, and the law of freedom of speech is applicable in the country. But there is some reality that no one can handle, such as the abuse of power is certain circumstances. Nevertheless, journalists must give accurate information no matter the pressure that they face.
ReplyDeleteThe journalists must work to be sure they are making news decisions without thought to their owners. The owners must allow them to do so.
DeleteI think it can go both ways honestly. A conglomerate can accelerate a business's success, as well as their own, and continue to have a lasting impact on the industry. On the other hand, a conglomerate can jeopardize a companies reliability, trustworthiness, and ethical morals if a big money powerhouse comes in and tries to change their ways. Money runs the world, and any company has to make money to be successful, so a conglomerate can either hurt a business or help it to thrive.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it can go both ways. I don't necessarily believe that we should be afraid of conglomerates because i know they can only have so much power. I believe we should just be aware of the negatives and the positive effects it can have on businesses and newspapers. I believe a lot of businesses with thrive off of this but I also believe with conglomerates having these types of relationships with newspapers they will have a bit of power over what is said. When Money is involved, journalists may pick and choose what they put in papers about some businesses, even though its their jobs to tell everything they know.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the question of, should we be afraid of conglomerates, can go both ways. The end goal is to make money, and with conglomerates, the goal is more likely to be a success. Which is why I would say we shouldn't be afraid of conglomerates. On the other hand, when one company owns many smaller companies or businesses, the information or media released to the public could become bias. For example, if one TV network owns a specific news station, and a scandal comes out about that TV network, it more than likely won't be reported nor discussed on that specific news station. So I feel that we shouldn't completed be scared of conglomerates, but, be aware.
ReplyDeleteSome great points. However, many see the job of the media as public interest. Something so important that it should be, somehow, separate. Can it be an altruistic profession that is somehow separate and uniqe?
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