Topic areas What are the wider social issues relating to media regulation?

Wider issues When talking about wider issues these relate socials issues of regulation: includes debates about press freedom and accountability

Wider issues The wider issues social issues of regulation: includes debates about press freedom and accountability Social: Journalists social responsibility to report the truth and act as the fourth estate vs. journalist and media producers commercial and economic obligation which leads to sensations Effects debates Political: Press is not free Ethical: journalists work for other people blogs, big brother state regulation, v’s media accountability people’s privacy v’s the public interest Web 2.0 Press freedom, public interest v’s press being accountable Political control Media effects: How the media effects Links:

Newspapers are not social Although the media say they belong to the fourth estate, they infact they have political alliances Daily Mirror Labour Daily Mail, Daily Express and The Sun Conservative Guardian and Independent are left wing, liberal newspapers.

Phone hacking-Present News of the world are in big trouble for hacking celebrities phones. In a recent documentary a journalist said the pressure of Fleet Street to create news made them do it. The wider social issues suggests the press are acting more for commercial reasons that as objective investigative journalists.

Commercialism Newspapers have to sell papers to make a profit and keep advertisers interested, so they will often go for sensatianlist stories. So they will print about celebrities having affairs and print pictures, so will not necessarily think of who (under age) is reading this.

Social issues and regulation People are now setting up their own websites and reporting on things. Social networking and media make it much easier for individuals to bi-pass regulation. This is a major problem for the media specific industry because they can’t regulate the internet easily. This is also creating problems for media companies like Google, Youtube and internet providers because they are providing the outlet that people can bi pass regulation, whether this is file sharing videos, or writing comments about celebrities on twitter.

Wiki leaks Wiki leaks is an example of social media, and the alternative press. Julian Assange dreamt that one day the internet would streamline the leaking of state secrets. Last week his whistleblowers’ website posted its most explosive leak yet: a secret video shot by an American attack helicopter of Iraqi civilians and a Reuters photographer being mown down, apparently in cold blood. Julian Assange is currently waiting to be extradited to Sweden on sex charges at present no charges have been brought against him for releasing state secrets. This shows how the social aspects of web 2.0 has changed regulation, where there is no international law to stop it. With only accusation by Assange the Pentagon tried to bring his website down.

Present Regulation is moving away from the industry and towards the end use; the consumer who now has to regulate themselves more. This is seen with companies asking whether people are old enough to view content, to internet providers operating their own code of practice by disconnecting people who break their codes i.e AOL and Freeserve and also Virgin who operate three strikes and you are out, where people who illegally download are disconnected.

BBFC present The change in BBFC regulation and censorship of films shows how society has changed. Film that were once banned are now being reclassified. Things that were once seen as improper are now more acceptable, this can also be applied to television and other popular culture films and TV programs which feature gay couples are now mainstream but previously might have been banned.

Pressure groups Both online and offline pressure groups are creating petitions and campaigns about regulation which could be seen with introduction of a panic button on Facebook. You must mention that in the social sphere you have pressure groups who want more censorship i.e. mums net are getting involved in the debate.