THE INFLUENCE OF THE MEDIA
Power
Power comes in many different forms
Power is very difficult to measure
It’s generally agreed that the media has power, however measuring this power is even more difficult
making the impact of the media much disputed.
Example: Media coverage of suicide
There is an ongoing debate about the media’s coverage of suicide
Some argue that coverage can lead to copycats.
After certain suicides there were corresponding spikes in the number of suicides recorded.
As a result, since the 1980s the press have been told to be careful about how they cover it e.g. not
glamorising.
Ethical reporting of suicide
Newspapers have to be very careful how they report suicide e.g. no glamorising it or suggesting that
it solves problems.
Equally keeping certain details out of the reporting in order to protect the feelings of the families
involved.
Suicide as news?
There is also the argument that suicides often don’t fit the criteria of news anyway
However, since then they point to a study that suggested that suicides in the Seattle region went
down after the death of Kurt Cobain.
Power
Power comes in many different forms
Power is very difficult to measure
It’s generally agreed that the media has power, however measuring this power is even more difficult
making the impact of the media much disputed.
Example: Media coverage of suicide
There is an ongoing debate about the media’s coverage of suicide
Some argue that coverage can lead to copycats.
After certain suicides there were corresponding spikes in the number of suicides recorded.
As a result, since the 1980s the press have been told to be careful about how they cover it e.g. not
glamorising.
Ethical reporting of suicide
Newspapers have to be very careful how they report suicide e.g. no glamorising it or suggesting that
it solves problems.
Equally keeping certain details out of the reporting in order to protect the feelings of the families
involved.
Suicide as news?
There is also the argument that suicides often don’t fit the criteria of news anyway
However, since then they point to a study that suggested that suicides in the Seattle region went
down after the death of Kurt Cobain.
