Press quality

3/03/2011

In an op-ed piece for a national newspaper, a media analyst commenting on Campbell’s media critique is only half the story had the following to say: “In addition to the general crisis inthe press sector, there is simply no way we can get any kind of objective reporting anywhere. Newspapers and current affairs publications are uninformative and biased, more interested in ‘soft’advertising, bland promotion and gossip than in anything that might be referred to as ‘news’, more concerned with sensation than the facts.” You have been invited to submit an essay in response to thestatement.

Press quality: readers or reporters responsibility?

Should journalists write what they consider or should they comply with the demand from readers? It is a fact that nowadays newspapersinclude less “serious news” than before. Papers, as the media analyst states, are more interested in light news. Is this a result of the quality of the journalists or the quality of readers?

Icertainly think that journalists are adapting their news on demand of the people. This demand has changed during the last years because people have less time. As a result of that, readers want to bequickly and easily impressed. Accordingly, newspapers focus more on causing sensations than informing.

Is it ethically correct that journalists tend to sensationalize rather than perform well theirjob, just in order to sell copies? I do not think so. I reckon that they should preserve newspapers quality by creating good news. A good newspaper is not good just because its circulation.

In thecurrent panorama of Spanish newspapers, we can only find specific newspapers (economy or politics ones) that are not contaminated with gossip and frivolous events.
If there is a percentage of peoplewho want to read light news and morbid events, there should be a type of paper for them. In fact, there is already some publications related to those issues but they are seen as frivolous and just for...