Business and the Media Ownership of the Media and Its Responsibilities Racial Diversity and Gender Equality in the Media The Fairness and Balance Issue Deceptive Advertising and Free Speech Special Issue: Government Regulation of Tobacco Advertising How Businesses Influence their Public Image Chapter 20

The media industry Media A means of communication that widely reaches or influences people. The media industry includes companies specializing in: Broadcast technology: the sending and receiving of messages/images via transmission equipment, cable lines, wireless devices, and receivers. Broadcasting content: News, entertainment, movies, etc. Service delivery: Cable companies, theaters, video stores, and so on that interface with the consuming public.

Media’s ethical and social responsibilities Ethical issues in the media: Acts of journalistic fraud and plagiarism Source of values (i.e., should the media continue to support endorsers facing criminal charges?) Marketing violence through media inputs of television, music, the Internet, and other means. Monitoring the instances of sex and violence and the impact that these theme may have in society.

Racial diversity and gender equality in the media In a 1997 study, ethnic minority groups were found to make up only 15.7% of prime-time drama casts. Only 26% of major characters in movies were women. Minorities are segregated in specific types of content, and rarely engage in cross-ethnic interactions. By 2001 there was evidence of efforts toward greater representation of minorities in the media.

The fairness and balance issue The fairness and balance issue is about how the media reports business activities. From 1949 to 1987, the FCC was entrusted with enforcing the Fairness Doctrine. It required television and radio broadcasters to cover both sides of important or controversial issues and to give the opportunity for contrasting viewpoints to be aired. It gave the FCC authority to rule on the fairness of broadcasts. The law was repealed in 1987.

Deceptive advertising Occurs when an advertisement misleads the consumer by lying, withholding relevant information, or creating an unreasonable expectation.

Right to free speech The right to free speech underlies the issue of deceptive advertising: The free speech issue is about how to find a balance between the constitutional right to free expression and the trustworthiness of information used by stakeholders to make purchases, seek employment, and take other actions.

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) A professional association of public relations officers. The organization is committed to “the fundamental values of individual dignity and free exercise of human rights” and believes that “the freedom of speech, assembly, and the press are essential to the practice of pubic relations.”

PRSA core values Advocacy. We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace…to aid informed public debate. Honesty. We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public. Expertise. We acquire and responsibly use specialized knowledge and experience. We advance the profession through continued professional development, research, and education. We build mutual understanding, credibility, and relationships among a wide array of institutions and audiences. Independence. We provide objective counsel to those we represent. We are accountable for our actions. Loyalty. We are faithful to those we represent, while honoring our obligation to serve the public interest. Fairness. We deal fairly with clients, employers, competitors, peers, vendors the media, and the general public. We respect all opinions and support the right of free expression.

Media training of employees Media communication experts generally give their clients the following advice: Resist the temptation to see reporters and journalists as the enemy. Business media representatives should build bridges with the media. Employees should be instructed to keep the long-term reputation of the company in mind. Being open and honest is a successful media strategy. Businesses should make communications a priority and the training of the company spokesperson a critical and ongoing program.