objectivity

"Power has a price, and it's for sale." Producers refused to run the story and instead focused on smaller boycotts.

Although the Radio and Television News Directors Association code of ethics states that directors should present news in a way that is accurate and balanced, that doesn't always happen. There are many factors that affect television's coverage of news. advertiser pressure In the case of markets like Hawaii, local advertising accounts for 80% of a station's income. As a result, many news directors may hesitate to run stories that portray their advertisers in a bad light. Many directors report that advertisers try to influence the content of stories by threatening to withdraw advertising (Soley, The Power of the Press has a Price). Among the groups who pressure the media most frequently are car dealers. According to some news editors, they discourage stories that reflect negatively on the economy. As an investigative reporter put it, "Power has a price, and it's for sale." media monopolies All of the major television networks in America are owned by larger corporations. NBC for example is owned by General Electric. In 1990, the Today Show planned a story on boycotts. The largest boycott going on at the time was a boycott of GE by a group called INFACT, who objected to GE's role in the production of nuclear weapons. The producers refused to do the story and instead focused on smaller boycotts. CNN is owned by Time Warner, which also owns record labels, production companies, home video distributors, magazines and a number of other television networks. Disney controls ABC, a number of magazines and newspapers, theme parks, a hockey team, and a publisher. Westinghouse owns CBS, a number of local television stations, 39 radio stations, investment firms and hazardous waste management facilities. political bias Liberal groups claim that the influence of companies like GE and Archer Daniels Midland is tilting political coverage to the right, while conservatives charge left-leaning journalists with framing the news in a way that promotes liberal perspectives. So who really controls television? Share your thoughts in our who controls television bulletin board. board help sources Neil Postman and Steve Powers. How to Watch TV News. Fairness and Accuracy In Media. Lawrence Soley. "The Power of the Press has a Price: TV Reporters Talk About Advertiser Pressures." Todd Putnam. "The GE Boycott: A Story NBC Wouldn't Buy." David Croteau. "Examining the 'Liberal Media' Claim. Journalists' Views on Politics, Economic Policy and Media Coverage." Joel Dyer. "Mind Control." back