Commercial Media

Lecture Week 6 - 2/4/12

In $$$ We Trust

Week 6 lecture delved into everything I hate about mass media. Yes, commercial media is necessary, but to what extent? When does it go too far, and how aware is the general public when it comes to what information they receive?

Commercial Media is a hugely important part of Australia's economy, as it is estimated that 99% of households have a television.The use of privately owned broadcasting (Ten, Nine, Seven, Foxtel, Austar, News Limited...the list goes on) completely shadows the publicly funded broadcasts (ABC, SBS) in Australia.

Yes, we need to make money to produce these Television broadcasts. We need to sell advertisements and promotional shows, but how do we ensure the 2 things do not mix? In my opinion, as far as Television journalism goes - we don't...

My concern is, the difference of advertising and endorsements and true journalism becomes a very blurred line in certain programs such as 'Today Tonight' and to a lesser extent, simplifying the news on shows like 'The Project' makes me wonder how many consumers are aware of who is financing the "news".

Last week, McDonald's advertised what they called a "documentary" that was aired on channel 7 after the popular prime time program 'Revenge'. What the program failed to make clear to it's viewers was the documentary was entirely self funded. Channel 7 executives have defended the program, saying "There is plenty of negative as well as positive information in the program ... We have no reason to think the information in the program is other than accurate" (Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/producer-defends-mcdonalds-documentary-20120401-1w67r.html#ixzz1rMTxcUbu) and denied the program had anything to do with the heavily advertised new season of 'My Kitchen Rules', of which McDonald's is a major sponsor.


My beef with commercial media is that our integrity as Journalists is at risk. If our audience is being fed advertisements as news, how do we expect people to ask WHY, or HOW about things going on in the world?


I know that one day, somewhere somehow I will most likely end up working in commercial media, but I must say, I will NEVER push something like what channel 7 did as investigative factual journalism. The day I do sell out as a journalist, is the day I willingly invite you to kick me in the stomach.
Seriously.