Thursday 5 June 2008

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Whilst browsing the JEP website, as I refuse to donate any of the very little money I have to what I believe to be the goverments mouthpiece, I was not suprised at what I read.

The headlines were as follows.

£330m waterfront plan approved...."Have your say"? yes.

Two more teeth found at Haute de la Garrenne...."Have your say"? NO.

Double decker buses....."Have your say"? yes.

It's time for action says Durrell....."Have your say"? yes.

Balliff under fire over abuse victims speech......"Have you say"? NO.

Scrutiny to look at job situation....."Have your say"? yes.

Tram plan hits the buffers......"Have your say"? yes

Waterfront masterplan approved....."have your say"? yes.

For those of you who don't read the online version of the propaganda machine, the "have your say" icon allows you to comment on the story. If the story doesn't have the Icon you are not allowed to give your comment or views (that is if "allowed" is the correct terminology).

I have sent e-mails to Rob Shipley and Chris Brights Secretary asking for a very brief decription of the word"Journalism" In fact the last e-mail I sent them, I asked them to publish.
Alas none of them answered the e-mail and it hasn't appeared to have been published.

I am hoping, shortly, to reproduce that e-mail on here alomg with others that will tell a story about the JEP and certain "special relationships". Mind you I suppose it's not exactly a worlwide scoop of breaking news, however the e-mails will make interesting reading.

Anyway back to the headlines and the "have your say" sketch. I was going to go on about how the JEP appear to be absolutely shameless in their defiance against allowing it's readers to voice their opinions but I'm sure most of us are aware now the JEP do not see it as their duty to allow the general public to voice their opinion, it appears they see it as their duty to change or swing our opinions.

So I thought what would be better was to offer anybody the opportunity to "have your say" on here.

The JEP, our only newspaper is, in my view, denying it's readers the opportunity to be heard. Why are you allowed to comment on a double decker bus or a tram?, and denied the opportunity to voice your opinions on probably the biggest "news stories" to hit this Island probably since Paisnel?

Unfortunately I have been forced to enable the "moderation gadget" or whatever it's called because somebody left a message suggesting Deputy Sean Power spends an excessive amount of time "on the hand punp". On that note, if you have any support for the JEP and their "Journalism" I would thank you to give it to them. They will almost definitely publish it I won't!

I am giving people the chance to voice the concerns the JEP deny them to voice. Or indeed help me and explain what "Jounalism" is as nobody at the JEP will tell me. I concede I could have this all wrong and there is a perfectly good reason why the JEP will not allow it's readers to have a say, so would be interested in hearing it.

2 comments:

  1. Agenda setting theory
    From ArticleWorld


    Agenda-setting theory describes the mass media as a tool that influences public opinion by setting the agenda in public discourse. The theory shows how the media affect public opinion, not necessarily by supporting one view over another, but by emphasizing certain issues in the public sphere. According to agenda-setting theory, the news does not tell us what to believe, but it does tell us what issues and debates are worthy of our attention

    A recurrent correlation has been shown between media coverage of an issue and the perceived importance of that issue among the general public. The theory explains this correlation as the result of “media gatekeeping.” This is the controlled, selective system for emphasizing certain stories over others, and for allowing some issues to be discussed in the news while others are not.

    There is some debate over whether media gatekeeping is simply a reflection of public opinion, or whether public opinion is actually shaped by it. Shanto Iyengar and Donald Kinder (1987) have shown, in News that Matters, that the perceived value of a news story is determined largely by certain presentation techniques. In their study, the placement of a story among others and the way it was emphasized had a strong effect on its perceived importance. The priming, or emphasizing of certain facets of politics over others, has a further effect on public opinion. None of these studies have definitively shown a direct causal relationship between media presentation and public opinion. It is still unclear whether we shape the media, the media shape us, or we and the news shape each other, but the correlation is very significant.

    There is a broader correlation between the agendas of the media, the public, and policy makers (politicians and public officials). One or two often shape the other. It can be said not only that the media can affect the agenda of public discussion, but also that it can shape public policy.
    In 1963, Bernard Cohen was the first to articulate agenda-setting theory in its current form. His ideas were perhaps based on the earlier writings of journalist Walter Lippmann. While Lippman did not use the words “agenda-setting theory” in his writings, his concepts were very similar. According to Lippman, people are more responsive to the pseudo-environment of mental imagery than they are to reality. To Lippman, this meant that the mass media would have a greater effect on public consciousness than the interactions and events of our daily lives.

    Retrieved from "http://www.articleworld.org/index.php/Agenda_setting_theory"
    Categories: Mass media | Media studies

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  2. I have long since stop buying the local rag. It is totally biased towards the establishment and is no way a fair representation of life in Jersey.

    Will we ever get some real journalism in this island?

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