Why does media content differ around the world?
Media content differ around the world for several reasons:
I- Different people run and produce the media
II- Media ethical codes and values differ around the world
III- Organisations’ mindsets differ
I-Different people run and produce the media
Discussion
What are the main mass media companies in your country?
Do these companies operate in other countries as well?
Readings and multi-media materials:
II-Media ethical codes and values differ around the world
“Every news organization has only its credibility and reputation to rely on,” said Tony Burman, editor-in-chief of CBC News, in Globe & Mail, 16 October 2001.
- Ethical codes lead organizations to present their news differently.
- Ethical Codes differ from country to country depending on media laws as well as national media watchdogs.
Discussion
Ethical Dilemmas
Create a five-frame cartoon, like the one on the right, of an ethical dilemma that an advertiser, newspaper editor, journalist or music company could face.
Different ethical codes
Links
Exercise
Find four articles on the same story from around the world and identify the differences in the way they present the story.
Readings and multi-media materials:
- Journal of mass media ethics
- Journalism and Moonlighting: An International Comparison of 242 Codes of Ethics, JMME 2006, Vol. 21, No. 4, Pages 265-285
- Applied Ethics Resources
- The World Press Institute
- The Poynter Institute
III- Organizations’ mindsets differ
Organizations’ mindsets differ because they are faced with cultural, political and economic pressures on what they produce, but some organizations place restrictions on content themselves. This is known as self-censorship, which entails censoring or classifying your own website, book, newspaper, film or other work without being pressured to do so from other sources.
Articles
Posted on 14th August 2007
Under: d. Media Content: Differences around the World | Comments Off
