3; blogging activity - media's reliability

can the media ever be relied upon to convey the truth?

well, personally, i'd say no. however, this is an issue being discussed by ajc gp students, so it's prudent to take a balanced view on the situation.

firstly, i feel we should take a look at the laws that the government has impressed in different countries. in singapore for example, media censorship is introduced. this is wise, since, given the fact that singaporean society is pretty conservative, disturbing news might lead to utter chaos, panic and disorder in the country.

furthermore, one of the principles that singapore's governance is based on is the practice of pragmatism and practicality. the government controls the press to ensure the media broadcasts news which is reliable, yet ensuring that people are not strung into panic and also are wide aware of what is happening.

then again, i think that this entry should not be heavily confined to the boundaries of singapore.

i once remembered watching oprah winfrey show sometime back, and she was discussing the issue on bird flu, because she felt that the news coverage was lacking and not being blunt about the truth. during the course of her show, she invited guests from the health and sciences department from all across america and brought disturbing light to the severity of the issue and even labelled the bird flu crisis as a 'pandemic'.

though i'm in singapore, i felt the reveberating shockwave of the brutality of that news. but perhaps because oprah was professional and guided the discussion easily, the situation was tense but did not invite anything that seeked to create havoc and disorder. i think the media scene has to use this as a guide to addressing important issues, should they be wary of the consequences, lest we risk the chance of being blinded by the truth.

i am not sure why, but i've never been compelled to even consider that singapore's media might be covering up important issues in place of 'sensationalistc and superficial tripe'. perhaps it's become routine to absorb what i hear. or perhaps it's because, even if the news is highly depressing and somewhat disturbing, we are given the vitals slowly and over time. time heals all. this is one clear example.

consequently, we do hear of stories where media does abuse censorship for profits, or for fears of losing rankings and readers.

this article on 'great lies of american press' does reveal shocking news of what some corporate-controlled media agencies do.

it's quite a shame that sometimes, educational or enlightening stories are being pushed aside to make room for superficial or sensationalistic news. by definition, it is important that media seek to highlight the important issues. entertainment news should be bared to a minimum.

though the article's view whereby it states that some agencies express fears of losing readers, the bottom line is that the truth gets out and not something superficial and based on lies and rumours. in the long run, should the false claims be surfaced, the agency not only have to bear scrutiny of people, but also of the other media agencies and it's reputation will be tarnished permanently.

not so nice, is it?

some media news agencies also seek to block out important issues for fear of criticisms and uproar from the readers alike.

some media seek to only give news so as to be popular and earn profit whilst compromising the truth. this should be changed and also the approach to news should be given a reform. ultimately, on the whole, the news can be relied upon to a great extent.