A dilemma of the media – news, business and power’s love triangle

Questions

How much do you think the media are reliable? Well, of course, it is depends on country’s proportion of freedom of speech. Theoretically, we assume that the media in countries, where democracy is well-developed, are more reliable than any other countries. Is it simply true? What about the example of America’s war reporting in news which is the so-called ‘embedded journalism’? Are only truths reported, objectively? Can anyone confidently say the news are not biased and are not in favor of anyone?

What about relationships between media owners and politicians such as, before, Kerry Packer and Neville Wran or John Howard couple (Well, Packer had a few more political girlfriends but those two are the most representative ones) and Murdoch and Malcolm Fraser (when Murdoch was Australian, now he is American and his girlfriend is George Bush) couple? Why were and are they so close?

In one step further, let me just have some fundamental and theoretical questions. Why are the media so important in current societies? Why is it commonly believed that the media must be objective, fair and balanced? What are the media’s fundamental duties?

As it should be…

Let me start with media’s significance and importance. Since breakdowns of communist countries, western democracy system is regarded as an idealistic governing system in 21st century. Current western democracy system of government, represented as the ‘Westminster system’, is also known as the ‘separation of powers’ system. The reason of why that is called separation of power’s system is that in the Westminster system, there are four different estates (or groups) which all separated from each other estates and act as a check and balance to stop any one group, or estate, from overwhelming power. The media, the fourth estate, theoretically require delivering realities of authorities through investigating and showing what the authorities are really like, how they do and how they should be as tools of check and balance.

Moreover, the media make meanings and organize those meanings into systems or codes which interpret the world. (See Grossberg’s ‘Media Making – Mass Media in a Popular Culture’, 1998) That is why the media must be neutral and objective description of how things are and of how things are supposed to be because the media is the only way that we can perceive other parts of our society. That is in accordance with Stuart Hall’s statement, “we experience the world according to their codes of meaning”.

Nervous system

The former MSNBC/FOX news contributor, Jeff Cohen, said that “Media is the nervous system of a democracy. If it’s not functioning well, the democracy can’t be functioning. We’re heading towards an election where most people are never going to be in a room with Kerry or Bush. What they learn about the candidates is what the media shows them or tells them.” (See also ‘Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s war on journalism) However, who decides what to show and not to tell?

A dilemma of the media

As a person who accepts as true Marx’s theory, I personally believe that the nervous system of democracy does not work properly at the moment. The most significant reason for that belief is that the media are used just as tools of production of media owners, which means the media is merely a business in capitalism society, and tools of propaganda of ruling class as lost its natural character which is a check and balance of authority.

Examples

As we can see from the examples of ‘Rupert Murdoch’ and ‘embedded journalism’, the media has been being wandered among the areas its fundamental purpose, business and propaganda in capitalism society. It is seriously biased and manipulated in favor of power and business. There are always a lot more significant and important things beyond what we can not see from the screen. (Well, I’d strongly recommend watching the movie, ‘Wag the dog’.)

Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch owns 9 satellite T.V networks, 100 cable channels, 175 newspapers, 40 book imprints, 40 TV stations, including America’s fourth largest TV network, Fox TV, Internet web site ‘Myspace.com’ and Fox movie studio. He is an emperor of the media empire of Murdoch. It is widely believed that the Murdoch’s media empires’ prince and princess, New York Post and Fox News channels are the most repellent children’s of Murdoch. Murdoch’s admirable hardworking to attack people who opposed Bush administration, in the infamous examples of “Saddam lovers” and “Peter Arnett interview incident”, tell us how Murdoch’s products, are biased and in favor of power. He is willing to be a pet of Bush administration to accumulate more fortunes and to secure his empire.

“Since 1917 the Pulitzer Prizes -- named for their creator, the 19th-century press baron Joseph Pulitzer -- have been awarded to encourage excellence in journalism. I happen to think that more could be accomplished with a prize for the worst in journalism. It should be called the Murdoch”. (See Cohen’s ‘A media empire’s injustice’, 2003)

Embedded Journalism

Embedded journalism, the other example of dilemma of the media, shows more clearly that the media are tools of manipulation and propaganda of ruling class and is a specific example of how the media can be useful method of propaganda.

Experiences in Vietnam made the U.S government to realize power of the media and needs for controlling media to keep their power which is available through getting publics’ supports. So they came up with a breakthrough idea, embedding journalists that make journalists to see the war only from the U.S government point of view. Not only that but also it does not allow any individual investigations. In advance, they close any kind of possibilities that could turn the public against them.

Examples of ‘Saving Private Jessica Lynch’ – the best war and rescue ‘movie’ ever, made by the U.S government - and ‘Murdoch’s outstanding work in the media field’ - Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News broadcast images that suited the U.S.A and attacked anyone who opposed the war. As a consequence, after the war, the U.S government approved Murdoch’s purchase of DirecTV, a satellite pay TV service, to increase his media empire - give us significant lessons. (See Minehan’s note, 2006)

Conclusion

Theoretically, the media must be able to deliver realities of governments through investigating and showing what the governments are really like, what they do and how they should be as a check, balance and medium. But in reality, there are not many examples for showing that our nervous system functions as it should work – except ‘Water Gate’.

Furthermore, as the example of Rupert Murdoch and Fox news clearly confirm the media does not function as it should be. It implies that the media industry is merely a business in capitalism society, and tools of propaganda of ruling class as lost its fundamental identity which is a check and balance of authority. Pure journalism has been treaded under the flag of capitalism.

Metallica – Metallica (Part I) – How I met heavy metal

(Before I talk about Metallica and Metallica, their fifth album, I would like to tell my readers how I encounter Metallica and heavy metal.)

It was around 1998, when I was extremely depressed due to the France world cup in 1998. South Korean national football team was beaten 5:0 by Dutch team in France world cup and just after that game the manager, who was my hero, was sacked before he finish his contract. (Ironically, Guss Hiddink, who was the manager of the Dutch team in 1998 world cup, managed South Koreans to the semi-final in the next world cup.)

Anyway, I was watching the T.V to drawn my sorrows. Then I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was an angel on the T.V. The angel was singing and dancing. It was not human being’s voice. There were wings on her shoulders that only I can see. God sent me such an unbelievable gift. I wanted to believe so. My brain was being empty and my organs were all stopped doing their functions. I couldn’t hear, feel and see anything else except her. There was only her in my consciousness.

Since then I began to after her. I collect her every articles in magazines, on the Internet, record every T.V shows that she is on and even went to Seoul, where takes 5 hours to get by train from my hometown, to join her birthday party. I was one of the first members of her fan-club.

While I was reading her article, I found out the fact that she is obsessed by heavy metal and she used to be a vocalist in heavy metal band. She said her favorite band and singers are Judas Priest, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, and Gun’s ‘N’ Roses so on in her interview. I suddenly became so curious about heavy metal because I had never heard of that before. So I decide to have a listen to heavy metal music to know more about my angel, merely.

So I bought Judas Priest’s album called “Pain killer” which was their latest album at that time.
(I still don’t know why I chose that band’s that album.) That album was my first heavy metal ever. As soon as I play the CD, I felt like I was smashed by a hammer. It was literally shocking, shocking and shocking. Intensely distorted electric guitar, heavily powerful drum sound, horribly shouted vocal and seriously fast tempo but competently controlled and complemented as one sound. I was just obsessed. The sound caused a lot of my anger, rage and repugnance. Also, the sound enables me to feel catharsis. Since then, I became to follow heavy metal bands rather than following my angel. By this post, I want to say thank you to my angel for being a bridge that connected me to the world of heavy metal.

(In the next post, Metallica – Metallica (part II), I’ll talk about Metallica.)

A curse of new stadium??

Derby County, Leicester city, Southampton, Sunderland and Millwal. What is the similarity of those teams? Some people might have noticed from the title. The answer is that those teams are all victims of the so-called curse of new stadium. Above teams used to be regular customers in Premier league. However, after building new stadiums, they have been staying in the Championship, rather than enjoying the benefit of their new stadium.

Arsenal also seems to suffer from a curse. But, it looks like it is a tiny bit different kind of curse with the curse that above teams are having. Arsenal just can not score.

Well, say so is likely to be not convincing because, so far they have two 3 goals scored games against Sheffield United and Watford. However, their several games against Middlesboro, Everton and Lokomotiv Moscow, made me to come up with the new kind of a curse of new stadium.

The reason for that is, in those games, Arsenal missed, unbelievably, so many chances, though, they perfectly control the games. If it had happened only in two games against Everton and Middlesboro, I would think that it is due to beating them up 7:0 in Highbury in two seasons ago and the last season. That poignant memory made them to only defend all the time. But, after watching the game against Lokomotiv Moscow, I felt something weird.

The curse stemmed from their opening game against Aston Villa. That game did seem that it is one-way traffic. Arsenal players were giving Martin O’Neil’s players a soccer clinic. However, Aston Villa scored the first goal with their corner kick among their 3 shoots. After that goal, they did not look like they are into go forward. Whereas, Arsenal hardly could score their equalizer through having 12 times shooting with 10 corner kicks.

Situations were getting worse. In the game, against Middlesboro, Arsenal had 17 shoots and 16 corner kicks but scored 1 penalty. In contrast, Middlesboro had 2 shoots and 0 corner kick but they scored a field goal. Moreover, Arsenal scored 1 free-kick goal through shooting 20 times and taking 13 corner kicks, against Everton in Emirates stadium last Saturday. Whereas, Everton scored the first goal amongst their 2 shoots which are all their shoots during the entire game.

However, the highlight and most unbelievable game was last Thursdays’ Champions league game against Lokomotiv Moscow. Rosicky and Fabregas missed their chances as if they are haunted by ghost. Furthermore, not only Rosicky and Cesc, but also Henry, Gilberto and Van Persie all did seem like they are hoodoos.

“We were looking at each other and wondering how we didn't win,” he said. “We
had enough opportunities. At one point the Moscow centre back looked at me and
said, 'there is only one team on the pitch". Arsenal skipper and captain, Henry, said.