Средства массовой информации

MASS MEDIA AND TENDENCIES OF ITS DEVELOPMENTS

PLAN

1. Introduction.

The role of mass media in the life of society.

1. Main part:

1. Mass Media in Russia.

1. The most popular newspapers, TV programmes and radio stations in Russia.

2. Potential value of mass media.

3. Prospects and tendencies of its development.

1. Mass Media in Great Britain.

III. Conclusion.

Introduction

In every modern country, regardless of the form of the government, the press, radio and television are political weapons of tremendous power, and few things are so indicative of the nature of a government as the way in which that power is exercised. While studying the politics of any country, it is important not only to understand the nature of the social, economic, political or any other divisions of the population but also to discover what organs of public and political opinion are available for the expression of the various interests.

Although the press in this or that country is legally free, the danger lies in the fact that the majority of people are not aware of the ownership. The press in fact is controlled by a comparatively small number of persons. Consequently, when the readers see different newspapers providing the same news and expressing similar opinions they are not sure that the news, and the evaluation of the news, are determined by a single group of people, perhaps even by one person. In democratic countries it has long been assumed that government ought, in general, to do what their people want them to do.

The growth of radio and particularly of television is as important in providing news as the press. They provide powerful means of capturing public attention. But while private enterprise predominates in the publishing fields in Great Britain, radio broadcasting monopoly, as was television until late in 1955. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a public organisation, still provides all radio programmes.

Mass Media is an important part of our life. People from different walks of life have become nowadays listeners, readers, viewers. Or in other words, reading newspapers and magazines, watching TV, listening to the news on the radio are our main means of getting information in all its variety.

Newspapers with their enormous circulation report different kinds of news. They carry articles which cover the latest international and national events. Now people buy newspapers also for the radio and TV programmes which they publish. There are special newspapers which gave a full coverage of commercial, financial and publish affairs. There are newspapers and magazines for young people. They give a wide coverage of news, events and reports on education, sports, cultural life, entertainment, fashion. There are a lot of advertising programmes now, sensation material, too.

They represent the views of today’s youth. Radio broadcasts are valued mainly for their music programmes (Europa plus). TV, radio, press reflect the present day life. Their information may vary from social and economic crises, conflicts, wars, disasters, earthquakes, to diplomatic visits, negotiations, from terrorism, corruption, to pollution problems, strikes, social movements. Much information is published concerning official governmental decisions.

TV is the most popular kind of mass media now. Viewers are fond of watching variety show, films, sports, plays, games, educational and cultural programmes. We have many different channels, including commercial channels. There are many interesting and exciting programmes, but at the same time too often very primitive films are televised. I mean horror films, thrillers, detective films with all their cool-blooded atmosphere of violence and endless crimes and murders.

The most popular sources of entertainment and information are the press, radio, TV, and movies.

The press plays an important part in the life of society. Millions of Americans in their free time read newspapers. The English word ‘newspaper’ does not really describe everything that you can read in this kind of publication. Newspapers include not only stories about recent events (news), but opinions, advertising, and other non-news items.

The first American newspaper was called Public Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestic. This paper was first published in Boston in 1690. Now there are about 2,600 newspapers published in the USA. The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times are three of the most important daily papers that describe foreign and domestic news.

The radio does not interfere with your activities. You can listen to the radio while doing some work about the house, reading a book or driving a car. On the radio one can hear music, plays, news, and different commentary and discussions called ‘forums’. At a forum several authorities exchange views on social, economic and political problems. A peculiar feature of the American radio is soap opera. It is a sentimental serial drama that describes domestic problems and which is for housewives. Soap opera is usually broadcast every day. Most people find soap opera boring. There ate a lot of games on the radio. They are called ‘panel games’. Radio brings also cultural and educational programs. Many programs are made up of classical music.

Television is a ‘chewing gum for ears and eyes’. There are many serials on TV in the USA. They appeared in the 1950s. TV games- attract a large audience, too. During TV quiz programs TV viewers answer different questions. There is a lot of education on television. For example, you can take a TV course in history, political economy, management, banking and in many other subjects, or learn a foreign language by TV. Educational TV films and programs are shown in schools and colleges as a part of the curriculum.

Mass Media are the press, radio and television. Every day we read newspapers and magazines, listen to the radio and watch TV. Nowadays there are so many newspapers and magazines, radio stations and TV-channels that we have to be selective and give preference to some of them.

Main Part

Mass Media in Russia

Russia has ninety officially registered television companies. 25,000 newspapers, over 1,500 radio programmes and 400 news agencies – over half of them independent, the rest entitled to full or partial government financing.

The Mass Media Act of 1991 regulates their activities.

According to public’s opinion 82 percent of the Russian people see television as the principal information source, and prefer it to the press. Radio comes next with 24 percent.

The total number of subscriptions to publications was 61 million in 1994, with newspapers - 43.8 million. 78 percent of Russian are regular readers of local periodicals whose total circulation is 25.2 million copies, while that of national papers is 18.1 million copies.

The weekly “Arguments and Facts” is the leader of the national press. It is the most popular newspaper among people with college and university degrees. “Moscovsky Komsomolets” is second in popularity with a huge number of subscribers and is sold like hotcakes on the newsstands. The next are “AID -Info” and Trud, a favourite newspaper with trade unions.

The respectable daily Izvestia is very popular among businessmen. “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”, “Commersant”, “Rossiskaya Gazeta” are read by the political leaders.

Among the most popular TV programmes are “Time”, “Topic”.

“Mir” is a television and radio company, established in the middle of 1992, is sponsored by Russia, Armenia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and some other Commonwealth countries.

“Mayak” is a radio station, which broadcasts news every thirty minutes, is the most popular. Private radio stations – Europe Plus, Moscow Echo and others have huge audience. They broadcast information, analyse the most important events and music. The new radio station AUTO – Radio telling the audience about the situation in the Moscow traffic and about everything connected with cars has rapidly gained popularity.

During liberalization of social-political life of Russia in the 90-s the majority of mass media was privatized. Nowadays there is a tendency of mass media concentration in the hands of separate powerful finance groups and creation of media-empires. This process is in all market-oriented economies and democratic societies. However, big business in Russia has been investing huge resources into mass media in spite of low commercial returns on such projects.

It is obvious that in addition to merely commercial benefits in the modern situation mass media brings the possibility of:

1. effective lobbing of interests because politicians depend on existing public opinion;

2. support the candidates in elections, who could guarantee to the mass media owners the advantageous conditions of existence;

3. creating the positive image of the mass media owners by publishing the negative issues about them and, on the contrary, distributing similar materials about their opponents;

In other words, the “potential” value of mass media for their owner is the opportunity to manipulate public opinion. The potential threat for the mass media freedom is hidden here because their owners may use all of the indoctrination possibilities in achievement of their own purposes. However, it does not take place because the basic indicator of media’s influence (and, therefore, value) is dimension of audience that can decrease after distribution of “custom-made” issues. In other words, since the mass media owners consider their TV –channels and newspapers as profitable they never use them as weapon.

Nowadays situation of Russian mass media differs from the situation in democratic countries. My analysis has shown that the aggressive application of mass media in Russia as the effective instrument of direct influence on public opinion rather than commercial projects is possible because of the following five points:

1. The lack of development of the information market, its monopolization and, hence, shortage of competition there, i.e. concentration of the basic channels of influence on public opinion in the hands of several (2-3) media-empires;

2. legal uncertainty of relationship between mass media and their owners;

3. Economic crisis and, as a consequence, lack of development of the advertising market;

4. The lack of information about mass media owners - the majority of citizens in Russia do not know who they are.

5. The political instability in a society that increases the efficiency of mass media as an instrument in the struggle with opponents.

The present economic crisis has dealt a crashing blow to the financial-industrial groups in Russia and cut down their expenses into the support of mass media. Therefore, the majority of media, especially printed ones, have found themselves in the hard financial situation. This fact has revealed convincing evidence that private mass media existed mostly on the basis of financial support of their owners and were functioning under their control.

Ьass media in Russia is mostly considered by their owners not as the commercial projects but as the objects of investments into the “political armory”, that can be used in struggle with opponents and in influence on public opinion. The removal or reduction of influence of five factors mentioned above is necessary. It is possible only after establishment in Russia a society with an economic growth because the democratic performance of mass media can be secured only by advanced information market on the stable social-economic basis.

According to Putin, in order to make the mass media independent, “it is necessary to create conditions for their economic independence so that they can be independent from the state and from large of oligarchic groups as they are called in Russia because they protect their group rather than national interests.”

Tendencies and prospects

Considering that the mass media market naturally needs a limited presence of the government,

and the government will never fully give up that presence, the following scenario for the

further development of the mass media seems to be the best, and most likely, option for

There is no sense for the federal government to control more than one TV channel that has a nationwide coverage. One or two channels should be transformed into

public-owned television. The rest of the TV channels must be reverted to private ownership. The

same applies to radio stations.

It is essential that a law be endorsed that would prohibit control over regional and local

broadcasting companies by the regional/ local authorities.

There is no political need for any central, regional or local printed press (except

departmental newsletters or Armed Forces publications) to be directly or indirectly owned by the

state agencies. Such ownership must be prohibited by law. All of the printing houses across the country should be sold to private owners or made joint-stock companies without the participation

in the shares of whatever state agencies.

There is no doubt that mass media will be developing to this logical scenario as long as

the country proceeds with the modernization of its political system. What is unclear is the rate of

the progress toward its implementation.

Will mass media ever enjoy full-fledged freedom? This is what people most

commonly have in mind when asking questions about the prospects foe the mass media in this

country.

First of all, the mass media have enough freedom already now. Although it is not

absolute or full-fledged, it outpaces the democratic development of the country’s political

structure. Secondly, the freedom of the mass media will continue gaining momentum

unless the world is swept by neo-authoritarianism (this turn of events is quite possible).

The freedom of speech not only it is actually unlimited in scale like in all

societies going through a stage of “anarchic democracy”.

This does not mean, however, that there are no problems with or threats to the freedom of

speech Those problems and threats stem from the following factors:

• the inability or unwillingness of the organs of state power, which claim to be democratic,

• to act in conformity with democratic norms in the field of mass media;

• the irresponsible use of the freedom of speech by journalists, which produces a negative

• (often excessive) reaction by the government;

Let us again consider the routine notion of the freedom of speech. A serious analysis

of this problem requires the differentiation of at least five terms describing five social

values and their respective social institutions: the freedom of speech, the freedom

of the press, censorship, the freedom of specific media, and the freedom of mass

information.

The freedom of speech is real and absolute as in the Western world:

one can say whatever and wherever he or she wishes to say. The freedom of press is

fixed in legislation.

Mass Media in Great Britain

In a democratic country like Great Britain the press, ideally, has three political functions: information, discussion and representation. It is supposed to give the voter reliable and complete information to base his judgement. It should let him know the arguments for and against any policy, and it should reflect and give voice to the desires of the people as a whole.

Probably in no other country there are such great differences between the various national daily newspapers – in the type of news they report and the way they report it.

All the newspapers whether daily or Sunday, totalling about twenty, can be divided into two groups: quality papers and popular papers. Quality papers include “The Times’, “The Guardian”, “The Daily Telegraph”, “The Financial Times”, “The Observer”, “The Sunday Times” and “The Sunday Telegraph”. Very thoroughly they report national and international news.

The distinction between the quality and the popular papers is one primarily of educational level. Quality papers are those newspapers which are intended for the well educate. All the rest are generally called popular newspapers. The most important of them are the “News of the World”, “The Sun”, the “Daily Mirror”, the “Daily Express”.

In some countries, newspapers are owned by government or by political parties. This is not the case in Britain. Newspapers here are mostly owned by individuals or by publishing companies, and the editors of the papers are usually allowed considerate freedom of expression.

England

Local morning papers have suffered from the universal penetration of London-based national press. Less than 20 survive in the whole England, and their combined circulation is much less than that of “The Sun” alone. Among local daily papers those published in the evenings are much more important. Each of about 70 towns has one, selling only within a radius of 50 to 100 kilometres. The two London evening papers, the “News” and “ Standard”, together sold two million copies in 1980, but they could not survive, and merged into one, now called “The London Evening Standard” with a circulation of 528,700. It covers national and international news as well as local affairs. Local weeklies include papers for every district in Greater London, often in the form of local editions of an individual paper.

Wales

Wales has one daily morning newspaper, the “Western Mail”, published in Gardiff, with a circulation of 76,200 throughout Wales. In north Wales “the Daily Post”, published in Liverpool, gives wide coverage to events in the area. “Wales on Sunday”, published in Cardiff, has a circulation of 53,100. Evening papers published in Wales are the “South Wales Echo”, Cardiff; the “South Wales Argus”, Newport; “The South Wales Evening Post”, Swansea;

Scotland

Scotland has six morning, six evening and four Sunday newspapers. Local weekly newspapers number 115. The daily morning papers, with circulations of between 85,900 and 740,000, are “The Scotsman”; the “Herald”; the “Daily Record”. The daily evening papers have circulations in the range of 10,400 to 164,330 and are the ”Evening News” of Edinburgh, Glasgow’s Evening Times, Dundee’s “Evening Telegraph”, Aberdeen’s “Evening Express”, the “Greenock Telegraph”

The Sunday papers are the “Sunday Mail”, the “Sunday Post” , the “Scottish Sunday Express (printed in Manchester) as well as quality broadsheet paper.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has two morning newspapers, one evening and three Sunday papers, all published in Belfast with circulations ranging from 20,000 to 170, 567. They are the “News Letter”, the “Sunday News”, the “Sunday World”. There are bout 45 weekly papers.

Most local daily papers belong to one or other of the bog press empires, which leave their local editors to decide editorial policy. Mostly they try to avoid any appearance of regular partisanship, giving equal weight to each major political party. They give heavy weight to local news and defend local interests and local industries.

The total circulation of all provincial daily newspapers, morning and evening together, is around eight million: about half as great as that of the national papers. In spite of this, some provincial papers are quite prosperous. They do not need their own foreign correspondents; they receive massive local advertising, particularly about things for sale.

Advertising in all non-broadcast media such as newspapers, magazines, posters (and also direct mail, sales promotions, cinema, and management of lists and databases) is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority, an independent body funded by a levy on display advertising expenditure. The Authority aims to promote and enforce the highest standards of advertising in the interests of the public through its supervision of the British Code of Advertising Practise. The basic principles of the Code are to ensure that advertisements:

• Are legal, decent, honest and truthful;

• Are prepared with a sense of responsibility to the consumer and society; and

• Conform to the principles of fair competition as generally accepted in business.

News Agencies

The principal news agencies in Britain are Reuters, an international news organisation registered in London, the Press Association and Extel Financial.

Reuters

The oldest is “Reuters” which was founded in 1851. The agency employs some 540 journalists and correspondents in seventy countries and has links with about 120 national or private news agencies. The information of general news, sports, and economic reports is received in London every day and is transmitted over a network links and cable and radio circuits.

The Press Association

The Press Association - the British and Irish national news agency – is co-operatively owned by the principal daily newspapers of Britain outside London, and the Irish Republic. It offers national and regional newspapers and broadcasters a comprehensive range of home news – general and parliamentary news, legal reports, and all types of financial, commercial and sports news. It also includes in its services to regional papers the world news from Reuters and Associated Press.

Extel Financial

Extel Financial supplies information and services to financial and business communities throughout the world..

New Printing Technology

The heavy production costs of newspapers and periodicals continue to encourage publishers to look for ways of reducing these costs, often by using advanced computer system to control editing and production processes. The “Front end” or “single stroking” system, for example, allows journalists or advertising staff to input “copy” directly into video terminal, and then to transform it automatically into computer-set columns of type. Although it is possible for these columns to be assembled electronically on a page-sized screen, turned into a full page, and made automatically into a plate ready for transfer to the printing press, at present very few such systems are in operation. Most involve the production of bromides from the computer setting; there are then pasted up into columns before being places in a plate –making machine.

The most advanced system presents opportunities for reorganisation, which have implications throughout a newspaper office and may give rise to industrial relations problems. Generally, and most recently in the case of national newspapers, the introduction of computerised system has led to substantial reduction in workforces, particularly, but not solely, among print workers.

All the national newspapers use computer technology, and its use in the provincial press, which has generally led the way in adopting news techniques, is widespread. Journalists key articles directly into, and edit them on, computer terminals; colour pictures and graphics are entered into the same system electronically. Where printing plants are at some distance from editorial offices, pages are sent for printing by fax machine from typesetter to print plant. Other technological development include the use of full-colour printing, and a switch from traditional letterpress printing to the web-offset plastic-plate processes.

British broadcasting has traditionally been based on the principle that it is a public service accountable to the people through Parliament. Following 1990 legislation, it is also embracing the principles of competition and choice. Three public bodies are responsible for television and radio services throughout

Britain. They are:

1. the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) broadcasts television and radio services;

2. the Independent Television Commission (ITC) licenses and regulates non-BBC television services, including cable and satellite services, and;

3. the Radio Authority licenses and regulates all non-BBC radio services.

Unlike the press, mass broadcasting has been subject to some state control from its early days. One agreed purpose has been to ensure that news, comment and discussion should be balanced and impartial, free of influence by government or advertisers.

The BBC has a strong regional structure. The three English regions – BBC North, BBC Midlands & East and BBC South – and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland national regions make programmes for their local audiences as well as contributing to the national network. The National Broadcasting Councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland give advice on the policy and content of television and radio programmes intended mainly for reception in their areas. Local radio councils representatives of the local community advise on the development and operation of the BBC’s local radio stations.

The domestic services of the BBC are financed principally from the sale of television licences. Households with television must buy an annual licence costing ₤80 for colour and ₤26.50 for black and white. More than two-thirds of expenditure on domestic services relates of television.

Licence income is supplemented by profits from trading activities, such as television programme exports, sale of recordings and publications connected with BBC programmes, hire and sale of educational films, film library sales, and exhibitions based on programmes. The BBC meets the cost of its local radio stations. BBC World Service radio is financed by grand-in-aid from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, while BBC World Service television is self-funding.

The BBC has five national radio channels for listeners in the United Kingdom. Radio (channel) 1 provides mainly a programme of rock and pop music. Radio 2 broadcasts lights music and entertainment, comedy as well as being the principal channel for the coverage of sport. Radio 3 provides mainly classical music as well as drama, poetry and short stories, documentaries, talks on ancient and modern plays and some education programmes. Radio 4 is the main speech network providing the principals news and current affairs service, as well as drama, comedy, documentaries and panel games. It also carries parliamentary and major public events. BBC 5 (on medium wave only), which is devoted chiefly to sport, education and programmes for young people.

BBC Television

The BBC has a powerful television service. It owns two channels: BBC1 and BBC2. Practically all the population of the country lives within the range of the TV transmission. With the exception of a break during the Second World War, the BBC has been providing regular television broadcasts since 1936. All BBC2 programmes and the vast majority of those on BBC1 are broadcasted on the national network. The aim of the Government is that at least 25 per cent of programmes on all channels should be made by independent producers.

The Government has no privileged access to radio or television, but government publicity to support non-political campaigns may be broadcasted on independent radio and television. Such broadcasts are paid for on a normal commercial basis. The BBC is not the mouthpiece of the government. All the major political parties have equal rights to give political broadcasts. Radio and, particularly, television have their greatest impact on public affairs at election time. Each of the principal political parties is granted time on the air roughly in proportion to the number of its candidates for the Parliament.

Arrangements for the broadcasts are made between the political parties and the broadcasting authorities, but editorial control of the broadcasts rests with the parties.

Television and the other channels of mass media are playing an increasingly important part in bringing contemporary affairs to the general public.

Radio and television programmes for the week are published in the BBC periodical, “Radio Times”. The BBC publishes another weekly periodical, “The Listener”, in which a selection of radio and TV talks are printed.

Television is probably the most important single factor in the continuous contest for the public’s favour between the political parties. Parties and candidates cannot buy advertising time. At intervals each channel provides time for each of the three main political parties for party-political broadcasts, and during an election campaign a great deal of time is provided for parties’ election, always on an equal basis.

The proceeding of both Houses of Parliament may be broadcasted on television and radio, either live, or more usually in recorded and edited form on news and current affairs programmes.

The proceedings of the House of Commons have been televised since 1989.They are produced by an independent company appointed by the House of Commons, which makes television pictures available to the BBC, ITN and other approved broadcasters for use in news and current affairs programmes. House of Lords proceedings have been televised since 1985.

The BBC and the commercial services provide time on radio and television for an annual series of party political broadcasts. Party election broadcasts are arranged following the announcement of general election. In addition, the Government may make ministerial broadcasts on radio and television, with opposition parties also being allotted broadcast time.

TV and Radio

Television viewing is Britain's most popular leisure pastime: 95 per cent of households have a colour television set and 68 per cent have a video recorder.

There are four television channels, and five national and over 100 local radio stations. News laws will allow another national television channel and as many as three national commercial radio stations. Subscribers to a privately owned satellite service can receive five more television channels.

A lot of air time is devoted to political, social and economic affairs. Although politicians often face tough questioning, particularly during election campaigns, broadcasters are expected to be impartial in their treatment of political controversies. Some programmes especially radio, allow members of the public to challenge politicians and other public figures on major issues.

The Government is not responsible for programming content or the day-to-day conduct of the business of broadcasting. Broadcasters are free to air programs with the only limitation on their independence being the requirement that they not offend good taste.

The Press

The British are one of the biggest newspaper-reading nations in the world.

There are about 130 daily and Sunday newspapers, over 2,000 weekly newspapers and some 7,000 periodical publications in Britain. That's more national and regional daily newspapers for every person in Britain than in most other developed countries. The major papers, twelve national morning daily newspapers (5 qualities and 7 popular) and nine Sunday papers (4 qualities and 5 popular) are available in most parts of Britain. All the national newspapers use computer technology, and its use in the provincial press, which has generally led the way in adopting new techniques, is widespread.

The press in Britain is free to comment on the matters of public interest, subject to law (including that of libel). By the open discussions of all types of goings on, it is obvious that there is no state control or censorship of the press, which caters to a variety of political views, interests and levels of education. Newspapers are almost always financially independent of any political party, but their political leanings are easily discerned.

Literature:

1. “This is Great Britain” L. Kolodyazhnaya IRIS PRESS, Moscow, 1999

2. “British Studies” M. Pavlotsky St.-Petersburg, 1998

3. “How Do You Do, Britain?” L.S. Baranovsky, D.D. Kozikis,

Minsk, SADI Agency 1997

4. “The Russian Mass Media: Is It Really Free?” Vitaly Tretyakov,

IX EURASIAN BUSINESS SUMMIT, 2008