po polsku
This role explains the frequent media interventions in cases where these rights and order are violated by the government or other institutions. I`ve already mentioned leading examples of pro-social media actions - the exposure of the Watergate scandal and the Pentagon Papers on the Vietnam War.
These interventions brought tangible results - due to the exposure of abuses, President Nixon resigned, and the war saw fewer American casualties. Unlike in other countries that are grandly called democratic, in the U.S., journalists cannot be arrested for telling the truth, nor can a newsroom be shut down for actively seeking the truth. On the other hand, the government cannot be defamed unless investigative journalists can prove that governmental statements or actions are directed with particular malice against American society.
However, U.S. media are not only about heroic journalists and reporters fighting for the people`s right to information on government actions. Many "business sharks" focus on their own interests and the profits of their corporations rather than the public good. And since violence and sex sell best these days, many Americans criticize the media - take, for example, Michael Moore, a prominent advocate for reducing crime coverage in the news. Those who have seen "Bowling for Columbine" know what I mean. His idea of driving consumption through fear has many supporters among lawmakers, who have long tried to change the popular belief that "nothing sells like a corpse on the cover."
To address citizens` demands and Congressional pressure, the four main television networks - ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox - established a system in 1993 to inform viewers of a program’s violent nature just before it begins. In 1996, commercial and cable networks went a step further, implementing a system that monitors "doses" of violence, sex, and vulgarity in their programming. Depending on the content, an appropriate symbol appears on the screen during the broadcast to indicate whether children and teenagers should watch the program (a similar system now exists in Poland).
Paradoxically, this system was deemed a violation of the First Amendment in the United States. Since 1998, technological solutions have been applied instead, with televisions now factory-equipped with a V-chip, allowing parents to block broadcasts of programs that children should not watch.
Read all articles in the series The Fourth Estate in America.
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El Mercurio de Valparaiso from Chile. The oldest Spanish language newspaper in the world
Małgorzata Dwornik
The first issue started a revolution in South America. It survived 200 years of turbulent history: headquarters fires, editorial office looting, economic crises, and dictatorship. Today, El Mercurio de Valparaiso holds a unique status in the Chilean media market. And the title of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The history of La Jornada. Lesson in independence from a mexican daily
Małgorzata Dwornik
It was created through the determination of journalists and the support of a Nobel laureate. Even students and the homeless contributed to the first issue. It survived earthquakes, financial crises, and political attacks. Today, the Mexican daily La Jornada is a strong, independent brand.
Dimmalætting. History of the oldest daily in the Faroe Islands
Małgorzata Dwornik
The oldest newspaper in the Faroe Islands survived fires, bankruptcies, and the British friendly occupation. Although its end was declared many times, Dimmalætting has reported on archipelago life for 148 years. This title became a symbol of the struggle for identity for the Faroese people.
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History of Folha de São Paulo. Brazilian Newspaper with a Guinness Record
Małgorzata Dwornik
The first issue was published on February 19, 1921, and the editorial team... quickly found itself at odds with Brazilian censorship. It was neither the first nor the last time. Over the years, the newspaper has faced countless clashes with the government, the military, and insurgent groups. The editorial team has suffered repression and acts of violence. However, its readers have always stood firmly by its side.
History of television in Australia. It all began with a studio in a windmill
Małgorzata Dwornik
Already in 1885, thanks to Telephane, an invention by Henry Sutton, it was possible to watch horse races for the Melbourne Cup. The first real television broadcasts, conducted from 1934 at the old windmill on Wickham Terrace in Brisbane, were watched by only 18 television owners, but by the following year, test transmissions had begun in other major cities.
History of Le Soir. A Belgian daily once free for ground floor readers
Małgorzata Dwornik
It started with an unusual sales policy and articles written personally by the king. This is where the comic hero Tintin made his name. The "fake edition" from the II World War went down in history. "Le Soir" more than once found itself targeted by authorities, censors, and even... terrorists and hackers.
The History of Press Photography
Bartłomiej Dwornik
The birth of photography is dated to 1839, when French painter Louis Daguerre announced the principles of daguerreotype (an image projected through a lens onto a silver-plated copper sheet, developed with mercury vapor, and fixed with sodium thiosulfate).
