1. MMC 910 Journalism and Society
Session 3: Journalism History and Journalists as Historians (cont.) and Four Theories of the Press

2. MMC910 Journalism and Society
Speaker Aysha Taryam isn’t coming today; she sends apologies; asks you to read in her book The opposite of indifference
Today we’ll catch up with materials unavailable last week – first Barbie Zelizer’s chapter 4 in her book Taking Journalism Seriously

3. History and Journalism
Barbie Zelizer is a former journalist who now studies journalism and is a media critic
She has written or edited several books on journalism as history
Remembering to Forget: Holocaust Memory through the Camera’s Eye
Covering the Body: The Kennedy Assassination, the Media, and the Shaping of Collective Memory
Journalism after September 11

4. History and Journalism (cont.)
Zelizer understands “the importance of taking journalism seriously, both for practitioners and scholars” Journalism matters, but many well known writers are applauded not for journalism but for their fiction that uses the same themes: this happened to Hemingway – notes Zelizer in Chapter 1 of her book Taking Journalism Seriously. News and the Academy

5. History and Journalism (cont.2)
Two issues:
History of Journalism
and
Journalism as History
Problem is what is history – no agreement although we all think we know what it is

6. What is History?
What do you think?

7. What is History? (cont.) Stories about great people’s actions?
Chronological account of facts?
Ideological frame:
political?
religious?
philosophical?
Witness accounts?

8. What is History? (cont.2) Some approaches Stories of greats
Focus on narrow topic/setting
Narrative of improvement – moving from dictatorship to democracy, from slavery to freedom, colonialism to independence
Birth of a nation, an ideology
Explanation of disasters like war, famine, disease

9. History of Journalism Who decides if it’s real or true?
So,
Who decides if it’s real or true?
How do we know that something happened?

10. History of Journalism (cont.)
Zelizer’s categories of journalism:
Small scope: Journalism history as biography, autobiography, story of organization – narrow, restricted scope, one viewpoint
Medium scope: Journalism history as study of a period, theme, series of events, technology
Grand scope: Journalism history as study of development of a nation or region

11. What does this mean? Study of journalism is ongoing
Journalists work within history
What journalists do today will be part of tomorrow’s history
As a journalist, knowing that what you do is really important should be a source of satisfaction and a reason for serious ethical professionalism

12. History and Journalism
We discussed Zelizer’s Chapter 4 from the Week 2 reading list
The other readings from Week 2 should be available next week
Thompson on media and development of societies
Lloyd on British press traditions, etc.
Torney-Parlicki on Australian journalists as historians

13. Week 3 Readings Also to be available next week
But let’s take an advance look now at
Four Theories of the Press

14. Four Theories of the Press
Important book in 1963 by Fred Seibert
Media is part of society
“The press always takes on the form and coloration of the social and political structures within which it operates”
Four theories “clarify the link between mass media and the political society”

15. Four Theories from 1963
The Authoritarian Theory The Libertarian Theory The Soviet Theory The Social Responsibility Theory

16. The Authoritarian Theory
Direct government control of media
Government is a small ruling class
Media cannot print or broadcast anything against ruling group; media avoids offending government
Government punishes anyone who questions it
Media professionals are strictly controlled by their organization
Foreign media also have to obey since imported media products have to be approved by government

17. The Libertarian Theory
The individual is free to publish as he/she likes
Attacking the government is allowed and even encouraged
No restrictions on foreign media inside or outside the country
Media professionals are allowed to be independent in their organization

18. The Soviet Theory Tied to communist ideology
No private media companies
All media have to serve the working class
Government is superior to media
Media is expected to police itself
Media organizations are responsible for meeting the expectations of their audience – see working class above

19. The Social Responsibility Theory
Media has obligations to society
Media has to be informative, truthful, accurate, objective, and balanced
Many kinds of media organizations and products show “a reflection of the diversity of society as well as access to diverse points of view”

20. Before Session 4 next week
Prepare by going over Week 1, 2, 3 readings in the Syllabus
ereadings now include Week 3 readings:
Lee Chin-Chuan on China’s Journalism
Richard Shafer and Eric Freedman on Mass Media in Uzbekistan
Prepare for next Monday’s class (Week 4) with Week 4 ereading by Hoffner et al. on Censorship of TV Violence

21. As you read Take notes – material may be in Week 8 Exam
Save information, references, titles that seem interesting – for presentation, paper, and/or essay
Come to class with comments about your reading
Come to class with observations about what journalism is doing in today’s society: bring examples

22. Upcoming Conferences
WAN-IFRA 7th Middle East Conference, Feb.29-March 1
JW Marriott
MEPRA Conference, March 4-5 (free)
Zayed University at Knowledge Village
PR World Congress, March (5 free slots for students)
at Grand Hyatt
Arab Media Forum, May 8-9 (register for free at at Grand Hyatt

23. MMC910 Journalism and Society
That’s it for tonight. See you Wednesday in MMC911 – meeting in Block Speaker Monday, Feb. 27, is Magda Abu-Fadil. Follow her on twitter, Huffington Post, blogs, etc.