Summary Public services - current affairs - M2

Analyse the independence of the media from owners, revenue generators and politicians

In analysing the independence of the media from its owners, revenue generators and politicians it’s
important to first analyse the methods that the media use, this will allow a proper analysis of their
independence by determining the degree to which outside parties manipulate and control those
methods. These methods will be the gathering of information, the presentation of information and
the consequences of presenting that information.

The information gathering stage is where the media has least independence from outside parties. It’s
in their interest to ensure that the media get the right information, that information might be for a
story or to help sell it but these outsides clearly feel that they need to deliberate plant sources of
information for the media to use pre determining the information that will be presented. Whilst
media doesn’t solely use these sources of information to get results they do use them. The other
sources that are used are gained by many other methods that the media use and these have nothing
to do with the outside parties. Ultimately though the other sources that are used are only used if
they can provide extra information that can sell a story or further it. To this end the outside parties
only want information present that will further their interests, they have no concern whether it’s
their source or not, but they have to have their own sources in place to ensure that if there are no
other sources of information at least they can use their own. So the media here has little
independence and is simply operating in the interests of outside parties when it collects information.
The information collecting will be to benefit something or someone and the information the media
collects has always been to serve this end.

The presentation of information is where the media has more independence. Although they have a
standardised process and presentation in the majority of the media, rules and regulations to follow
the outside parties can still manipulate. Here they only can manipulate how information is presented
by narrowing down the information being presented, so only information that will sell the story,
further it or else benefit the outside parties’ interests in some other way will be used. Also they
manipulate on an emotive level trying to evoke a response to achieve the same ends. However the
majority of their manipulation over what is presented was pre-determined in the information
gathering stage, this is why there is so much more manipulation from outside parties in the
information gathering process. They generally have an impact on how the information is presented
indirectly. For example profit driven medias have to achieve maximum profit for owners etc., so they
try to shock or create a scandal as it allows them to sell a story and achieve maximum profit.
However the media presents within the limitations placed upon it how it likes and information from
different medias may conflict against one another, lies and similar are common and do occur. So
perhaps the independence of the media here is irrelevant if they are operating with information pre-
determined to suit an outside parties interests, and if they are forced to operate in a certain manner
e.g. to achieve maximum profit then even they are independent they are still working for an outside
parties interests. The media may have more independence here but it little matters to the outside
parties as long as the information that is presented is do so in a way that benefits them.

The consequences of the information presented were again to a degree pre-determine in how it was
presented. The information though would have been presented to serve outside parties particular
interests and so whatever they wanted should have been achieved here. The media has little control
over this and generally responds to the consequences based on the interests of the outside parties