5.0.2 The Media: Methods and Impacts - Overview

Version 1.3 December 2013                                                              (Previous Version)

How we come to our conclusions is a major part of this Reasonable Global Way. 

All our choices, including those choices that reflect our values, are based on the options that we perceive are available to us and the expected outcomes of each.  These are dependent on our understanding of the facts of the world.  This is why the media is so critical. 

The media includes:

●   ancient communication techniques, such as clothing, jewelry and body art, as well as traditional ones such as painting, sculpture, architecture and urban design;

●   modern analogue communications such as printed books, newspapers and journals, movies, radio and television; as well as digital communications, via computers and the internet, which provide faster distribution channels for all forms of content.

There are global news and entertainment companies that dominate the information and cultural activities in the affluent countries, especially the West.  There are national controls on the media in a significant proportion of the world, including large sophisticated countries such as China and Russia, as well as the Middle East.  These two forms of media dominance reduce the diversity of opinion that we are exposed to, depriving minorities of content specific to their interests, and all of us of opportunities to be exposed to alternative views and the personal growth that can ensue.

Our response to this situation is fourfold:

1.      Freedom of expression is essential for media to be able to criticise government and business;

2.      The media, especially news and current affairs, must be responsible: NOT mislead, distinguish fantasy, commercial or political spin from fact and independent commentary, to be truthful;

3.      As individuals we are responsible for informing ourselves, to become more aware consumers of the media, to be able identify fantasy and spin when the media channel doesn’t do it for us;

4.      As societies we are responsible for ensuring informed, diverse opinions have effective access to a wide audience, by allowing freedom of expression, and limiting libel laws, by anti-trust and competition laws, and restrictions on market dominance of government or private media.

We work through the next level of detail on each of the above issues (more).  After considering this evidence, we’ve looked for a way to state our conclusions briefly, and we come to the following summary.

Is this the best way to state our conclusions in this area?  Click on feedback, or add a comment below, if you can improve the substance or the phrasing.

  more                                                                                  Statement 27

While we support freedom of expression in the media the flip side of freedom is responsibility. Media organisations, the individuals who work for and control them, as well as we as consumers and as societies must accept responsibility for applying our core values to the media:

·         a commitment to the truth; reflected in derived values of respect, authenticity and balance;

·         valuing diversity; reflected in derived values of freedom of expression and competition;

·         valuing life and love: avoiding glorifying war, civil strife and racial or religious hatred;

·         showing the beauty that is in the world, and how to increase our sense of it;

·         valuing equality and hope: providing what we can to help others to continue life’s struggle.