What is the media?
'Free press'
In the UK we have free press, meaning that various forms of media such as newspapers, TV and radio are free from government control.
Why is it important to have a 'free press'?
A basic human right, as reinforced in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in article 19, is the freedom and right to have and hold your own opinion, as well as expressing it in the media.
Why is it important to have a 'free press'?
A basic human right, as reinforced in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in article 19, is the freedom and right to have and hold your own opinion, as well as expressing it in the media.
Many have argued that 'free press' is important because it forms the basis of democracy. Free press media can publish views regarding the government, for instance how they spent public money and whether they are fulfilling their promises. Free press media can provide facts to help citizens form opinion and promote differing points of views.
However there are many examples of how the media is not free press and therefore supervised by the government. In other words, if the government wants to stay in power and prevent the public from accessing opposing or negative views of their leadership they may use censorship. Censorship is where a government or other agencies control what the media reproduces on either political or moral grounds. Examples of places around the world where the government censor the media; Russia where there are no television channels that are free from government control. The government in China also heavily controls their press and regulates the views their people are presented with to conform with the governments ideals. News paper from Fiji. This cartoon was censored because it was critical of the government.
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ON THE OTHER HAND some have also argued that there are specific occurrences where 'free press' may be a negative. National security is always referred to to illustrate and support the view that press freedom is not always positive or desirable. Specific examples of this can be identified in cases where the government have trailed people who have been caught spying. It would be a concern for national security if free press was permitted to publish all evidence presented in court.
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Responsibilities of the media
In the modern world when the general public requires information their first port of call is the media. They turn to the media for up-to-date and non-biased information and therefore it is important not only for the news to be reported fairly; but also to provide information where we can form an opinion of our own. The media therefore as a form of 'free press' has a moral and legal responsibility towards the public in terms of fair reporting. There are a number of guidelines and bodies established for the purpose of regulating the behaviour of the media to insure legal, decent, honest and truthful reporting. One of the major influences and guidelines provided for the media is the 'The Press Code' or 'The Code of Practice' which has been in use since 1991. |
Just like every other citizen in society the media also has to obey the law regarding decency and discrimination. Therefore they are not allowed to publish stories which would break these laws or they could find themselves in court.
If the media fail to fulfill their responsibilities or break 'The Press Code' there is are a number of possible outcomes , as highlighted below.
Teaching Ideas
Starter:
Get students to write down all types of media they have come into contact with since they got up this morning.
Main Activity:
Newspaper comparison: compare the same article in two different newspapers. Ask students to identify if there are any similarities or differences in how the story is reported? Can you identify any bias?
Watch video clips from the Leveson Inquiry and ask students to decide whether the press has followed the 'Code of Practice' guideline. The Inquiry could also be used as a case study to understand the importance of free press but also how the media is and can be regulated. As well as some of the problems connected to this.
Following issues of free press and media regulation it may be interesting to have a class discussion focused around the statement 'Celebrities work hard to attract media attention but they should be protected when the press invades their privacy.' Before discussion ask students opinion which can be represented on a virtual agree-disagree scale along the class. Then discussion can take place and students can repeat the activity to identify if anyone has changed their opinions.
Plenary:
Card sorting activity which requires students to determine which statements about the Leveson Inquiry are true.
Homework
Set exam question: 'The media must always be free to express a point of view.' Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your opinion, showing your have considered another point of view.
Ask students to try and work out how many hours they spend watching or reading them media in the last week. They need to consider how much they watch TV, read books, magazines or newspapers, used the Internet etc. This homework will be used in future lesson to consider the importance the media plays in our lives.
Get students to write down all types of media they have come into contact with since they got up this morning.
Main Activity:
Newspaper comparison: compare the same article in two different newspapers. Ask students to identify if there are any similarities or differences in how the story is reported? Can you identify any bias?
Watch video clips from the Leveson Inquiry and ask students to decide whether the press has followed the 'Code of Practice' guideline. The Inquiry could also be used as a case study to understand the importance of free press but also how the media is and can be regulated. As well as some of the problems connected to this.
Following issues of free press and media regulation it may be interesting to have a class discussion focused around the statement 'Celebrities work hard to attract media attention but they should be protected when the press invades their privacy.' Before discussion ask students opinion which can be represented on a virtual agree-disagree scale along the class. Then discussion can take place and students can repeat the activity to identify if anyone has changed their opinions.
Plenary:
Card sorting activity which requires students to determine which statements about the Leveson Inquiry are true.
Homework
Set exam question: 'The media must always be free to express a point of view.' Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your opinion, showing your have considered another point of view.
Ask students to try and work out how many hours they spend watching or reading them media in the last week. They need to consider how much they watch TV, read books, magazines or newspapers, used the Internet etc. This homework will be used in future lesson to consider the importance the media plays in our lives.