Corporate media influence
It’s been a while since a MY CANADA commentary. Not much is happening to comment upon aside from the massive Fort McMurray Alberta fire catastrophe. The coverage on the fire and massive associated problems do not really need more commentary since news outlets are all covering every aspect of the disaster. Politics is taking a back seat to the plight of the people in dire straits, but rest assured the pause will be short lived.
On the subject of current politics there is certainly room for comments. Senate restructuring, the need for programs to deal with the First Nation youth suicide threat crisis and the need for promised federal government spending on every conceivable issue are only temporarily in a holding pattern. The one constant that hasn’t and will not change in the foreseeable future is the loss of true journalistic integrity. Partisan politics are the order of the day in every media corporation. Balance and neutrality are apparently not even emphasized in journalism schools. At least that is the appearance as senior experienced, formerly respected political commentators fill the news programs and newspapers and magazines with left, right and center leaning political commentary on every surfacing subject. Influencing the listening and reading public seems to have displaced the media original need to inform with balanced information reflecting any situation so individuals can make up their minds without being pulled in a specific political direction.
The situation has been changing for decades so the millennia youth and even those as far back as post baby boomers don’t know the true journalism written and spoken by commentators half a century ago or earlier. The change more than likely resulted from the Watergate news media revelations of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein forcing the resignation of American President Richard Nixon and jailing of 25 high ranking officials. Journalism worldwide changed after Watergate probably not because the journalism school curriculum changed but due to the influence corporate America, including Canada appears to have instituted to gain subtle change.
The change it seems resulted from corporate media buyouts over the years. When media was usually family or company owned independent entities reporters only had to cater to local publishers and editors rather than managers under the influence of a corporate board. Once corporations purchased most major media outlets and chains of community news media controlling content did not have to be dictated. Catering to upper echelon of corporations willing to pay greatly increased wages would naturally promote loyalties to corporate needs. If the company publicly supported a political party it would be foolish for management and lower echelon employees to oppose the direction of the supported political party.
The evolving situation over the past half century or so is probably not wrong in the opinion of those affected. However it is a change from tradition that made democracies strong over the past 200 years or more. Conversely everything changes with time, even politics since Watergate. Would anyone have imagined an American presidential candidate such as Donald Trump would make such gigantic strides in convincing millions of Americans to back his candidacy when much of the world including Canada seems to wonder about or even fear the result?
On the subject of current politics there is certainly room for comments. Senate restructuring, the need for programs to deal with the First Nation youth suicide threat crisis and the need for promised federal government spending on every conceivable issue are only temporarily in a holding pattern. The one constant that hasn’t and will not change in the foreseeable future is the loss of true journalistic integrity. Partisan politics are the order of the day in every media corporation. Balance and neutrality are apparently not even emphasized in journalism schools. At least that is the appearance as senior experienced, formerly respected political commentators fill the news programs and newspapers and magazines with left, right and center leaning political commentary on every surfacing subject. Influencing the listening and reading public seems to have displaced the media original need to inform with balanced information reflecting any situation so individuals can make up their minds without being pulled in a specific political direction.
The situation has been changing for decades so the millennia youth and even those as far back as post baby boomers don’t know the true journalism written and spoken by commentators half a century ago or earlier. The change more than likely resulted from the Watergate news media revelations of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein forcing the resignation of American President Richard Nixon and jailing of 25 high ranking officials. Journalism worldwide changed after Watergate probably not because the journalism school curriculum changed but due to the influence corporate America, including Canada appears to have instituted to gain subtle change.
The change it seems resulted from corporate media buyouts over the years. When media was usually family or company owned independent entities reporters only had to cater to local publishers and editors rather than managers under the influence of a corporate board. Once corporations purchased most major media outlets and chains of community news media controlling content did not have to be dictated. Catering to upper echelon of corporations willing to pay greatly increased wages would naturally promote loyalties to corporate needs. If the company publicly supported a political party it would be foolish for management and lower echelon employees to oppose the direction of the supported political party.
The evolving situation over the past half century or so is probably not wrong in the opinion of those affected. However it is a change from tradition that made democracies strong over the past 200 years or more. Conversely everything changes with time, even politics since Watergate. Would anyone have imagined an American presidential candidate such as Donald Trump would make such gigantic strides in convincing millions of Americans to back his candidacy when much of the world including Canada seems to wonder about or even fear the result?