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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Give people the facts briefly, but make sure they are facts - this was the guiding principle set by the founder David Duncan when the paper was established in 1880. South Wales Echo stayed true to this motto even a century later when it became a tabloid. A unique one, because it prioritized local affairs over sensationalism. It actively engaged in regional life and social campaigns. It even created its own beer brand.
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The first issue was supposed to reach readers on 1914. However, the outbreak of World War I disrupted these plans. It finally debuted after 4 years. It survived another war, a publication ban, bankruptcy, and the digital revolution. More than a century later, it remains strong.
Hürriyet meaning freedom. History of Turkey’s flagship newspaper
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For 73 years, the Turkish Hürriyet made its mark not only on the history of Turkish media. It never bowed to any authority, which often brought dark clouds over the newsroom. The print edition today has only 212000 copies, but the newspaper’s website is now the fourth largest news service in Europe.
