In a world where journalists are taught ‘Man bites dog’ is news, let’s take a minute to assess the conflicting values that constitute the black box of media ethics. Media ethics provide a process by which Individual mistakes and excesses are best avoided without jeopardizing the ultimate objective of the fourth estate-to provide a healthy check on centre of power and maintain a free and enlightened society.
The importance and relevance of ethics in media stems from the fact that the common man places his trust in the media for providing information, education and entertainment. He gets deeply and intimately affected by the media’s portrayals of events. His opinion on major issues, his perception of peace, harmony and development or his action in leading a crusade for justice and deliverance are all moulded to a large extent by the media. The freedom of the press 1s said to be inseparable from democracy but it is equally axiomatic that some reasonable precincts are necessary to preserve this freedom from degenerating into a license to print and publish anything without restraint.
Ethical foundation is what gives media the strength and stature for a societal role. Where credibility is the principle criterion, as in the case of mass media, ethical practice and norms distinguish the rights from the wrongs. To be able to objectively analyze the issue, one has to appreciate the disparate nature of goals media is faced with.
Ethical dilemmas emerge when goals conflict. For example media usage may be subject to pressures entertainment value, information provision, upholding and protecting democratic rights and freedoms or the development of art and culture etc. Even minus all these complications, the foundation stone of media that is Truth’ itself may conflict with many other socially desirable values. For instance, in the Context of military secrets and other Sensitive government information, revelation of truth may be contrary to the public interest or to law.
In present scenario, numerous television shows are prejudiced and have immense impact on public belief. Many reports signified that there is proof for media bias. Biased media is deceptive, lacks framework, and deliberates opinions. In the news, there are biased reporting and spreading that can eventually have an influence on watchers. In media, there are many factors that are responsible for biased content. There is ethnical, racial, class, and religious prejudice within the media. Media is not always entirely honest and objective about their representation of important issues. Certain issues are made to look a certain way to benefit a certain group and influence public view.
Many intellectuals stated that the distorted media news shown in channels depends on how the watchers processes the information presented by the media. If the audience is mindful of the media unfairness and filters it from the information, misrepresentations in reporting are unlikely to have large effects on voter philosophies. In this world, people are sensible and media bias does not influence voters. Sometimes media bias does persuade voters. This may occur because voters do not necessarily account for bias in the media.
It is observed that the contemporary media environment is more differentiated as compared to earlier time. Many experts assert that the issue of media bias is more multifaceted and engrained in interpersonal factors and philosophies. Many journalists manifests misrepresentation of news, commentary, non-fiction articles, textbooks, documentaries, speech codes and favour one side’s ideas over another. Dictatorships and other authoritarian organisations which overpower freedom of the press are dishonourable for their media bias, particularly when all media are controlled directly by a one-party government. The effect of media bias depends on how the audience process the information presented by media.
It is time that the media should be recognized and accepted for what it is, nothing less and definitely nothing more. It is privately owned public platform and with liberalization it has become a lucrative business opportunity. By virtue of being a private concern it has the right to undertake any activity that is legal and helps it to fulfill its objectives. But by being part public it is also accepting some responsibility towards the society to which it owes a minimum basic standard of ethical and honest reporting.
However , even as a business, when it begin to sell TRP’s instead of credible, reliable, non sensationalized content then it is selling a product and rules that apply to the rest of the world apply to it also. This includes getting product attributes criticized.
In fact, creating a controversy out of nothing may be a good tactic in attracting short term TRP’s or minor spikes in circulation but it does carry long life. Sooner or later the public will grow out of such hype and meteoric sensation and in the long run the society will see through the news and content that result in some true value addition. Till then self-censorship both on the part of the media and the audience will get us through the doldrums for the shifting paradigms of ethics.
