Ethics in Reporting Political Issues and Elections

Summary The first decade of democracy in South Africa saw drastic changes in the media in relation to the normative frameworks, the ownership of the media companies, and a broadening audience.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Ethics in Reporting Political Issues and Elections specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These changes propagated more friction between the government and the media because of content coverage, and the need for the politicians in power to protect their reputations. Structural issues of the media were a particular source of conflict between the media and the post-apartheid government. For instance, in 1994, Mandela was among the first politicians to condemn the media companies because they were racially imbalanced. Most of the companies were still owned by white men who had no experience in the dynamics of the difficult life that the majority of the South Africans led (Wasserman, 2006). The situation got worse toward the end of the 1990s, and the Human Rights Commission was compelled to conduct an investigation of the alleged cases of racism on the part of the media. Strengths and Weaknesses The conflict between the South African media and the government led to the development of a workshop to develop media ethics to ensure that the media didn’t serve as a tool for spreading racism. Thabo Mbeki, the successor of Mandela also indicated his worry that the media companies were extremely biased in reporting political issues of the nation (Wasserman, 2006). One of the strengths of the South African media over the years has been the ability to highlight the multicultural issues that face the citizens. Its greatest weakness has been the attainment of a balance in unbiased reporting in relation to the issues facing the minority and the majority racial groups.Advertising Looking for critical writing on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get you r first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Significance and Implication to Ethics in Reporting The implications of ethical reporting in the nation were the development of cohesion in the society by using the media as a tool for preaching peace and love to the nation. Working under the set guidelines also meant that journalists in the different media houses had to take part in a national audit that evaluated their qualifications. The development of ethics in reporting saw the South African media undergo various phases of change. The media started from the exclusionary phase, whereby the whites and the blacks had their respective media reporters who covered information relevant to the respective groups. The threatening-issue phase was engulfed by the whites media reports that portrayed blacks as a threat to peace. The confrontational phase began after independence, whereby the government fought to change the ownership of the media. The stereotypical selection phase involved the el imination of racially focused reporting to address other stereotypes in the society like gender. The current stage is the multi-racial coverage stage, which entails the media and the government striving to eliminate racial bias in reporting. Contribution to Understanding International Media Through the lens of the eye of the South African Media, one can understand the dynamics of reporting, whereby the media is always on a quest to deliver public interests. Media reporting is a powerful tool that can build or destroy a society, depending on the willingness of companies to embrace reporting ethics. South Africa’s case also enlightens people about the constant conflicts that the international media companies face with different political entities. Critical Questions What is the distinction between public interests and national interests? Who is the victim in unethical reporting, the government, the media or the public? Should people always trust the media to deliver public inte rests? What can compel the media to become an advocate for national and international cohesion among the people in the society?Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Ethics in Reporting Political Issues and Elections specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Summary The article focuses on safety for journalists in their workplaces. Journalists who remain adamant about broadcasting the truth and criticizing politicians and their ideas have faced a rough time (â€Å"Media and Political Globalization,† 2011). Many journalists have been killed under mysterious circumstances that point to their boldness in reporting political issues. For instance, the beheading of the renowned journalist, Daniel Pearl, revealed the danger that journalists face in different parts of the world as they try to report on different political issues. Many international organizations have taken the responsibility of addressing the plight of journalists. For instance, UNESCO, CPJ, Reporters without Borders, and many other organizations have developed programs that look to advocate the protection of journalists and their freedom of expression. It is apparent that the globalization of politics has led to the rise in killings of journalist. In the past, journalists from different nations could mingle with conflicting groups without the danger of being attacked. In the current state of globalization, journalists are becoming easy targets for terrorist groups and other conflicting militants. Strengths and Weaknesses Many journalists have died in mysterious circumstances, and this is an indication that the freedom accorded to the media is only theoretical (â€Å"Media and Political Globalization,† 2011). Others have been killed while handling fieldwork, whereby their encounters with terrorists turns sour. Journalism is a dangerous profession, especially for those who dare to report controversial stories. The globali zation of the media and politics has led to an addition to the political pressures that journalists and their media companies face while reporting. One of the strengths of being in the media is the power to change the world through the delivery of authentic controversial political information. It is, however, a dangerous endeavor for most journalists.Advertising Looking for critical writing on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Significance and Implication to Ethics in Reporting Ethics in reporting dictate that the media should always give authentic information to the people. Inciting the society to make specific political decisions is unethical, and it should be eliminated by ensuring the media is protected from politicians and business entities (â€Å"Media and Political Globalization,† 2011). Failing to observe the required ethics presents the media as a direct enemy and hurdle to both public and national interests. Contribution to Understanding International Media The media companies are perfect tools for influencing political changes across the world. The article highlights different cases of journalists who have faced the ultimate injustice in the quest to bring information to the international community. The article clearly highlights the need for the international community to develop mechanisms to safeguard journalists in their work. Reporting issues of public and international interests ha s continually become a challenge because of the dangers that journalists face at work (â€Å"Media and Political Globalization,† 2011). The article paints a clear picture of the dangers of being involved in international journalism. The changing climate of politics in the globe has subjected journalists to murderous treatment by conflicting political groups, and this call for the international community to focus on the plight of journalists. Critical Questions What is the plight of journalists? What factors in the globalization of politics have led to the sudden change in the way conflicting groups treat journalists? Does the bias in reporting political issues have a role to play in the current challenges facing journalists across the world? Which intervention programs, besides the existing efforts, must be implemented? References Media and Political Globalization: Killing Stories-and Journalism. (2011). In J. Lule (Ed.), Globalization and Media: Global Village of Babel (pp. 95-120). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman Littlefield Publishers. Wasserman, H., De Beer, A. S. (2006). Debating the media’s role in post-apartheid South Africa. In K. Voltmer (Ed.), Mass media and political communication in new democracies (pp. 59-73). London: Routledge. This critical writing on Ethics in Reporting Political Issues and Elections was written and submitted by user Leilani Pennington to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.