5. Explain in your own words how the process of gatekeeping affects the form that news output eventually takes.
Gatekeepers are people within the media who have the power to let some news stories through but keep others out. Only a tiny minority of events become news and ‘gatekeepers’ have the power to decide which stories are included in this minority. The process of gatekeeping involves editors and journalists applying selection processes to events in order to ascertain which are news worthy. These selection processes may include financial factors, news values, competition, time and space available and the target audience. These factors are applied in order to create coherent and comprehensible news which appeals to the target audience. Similarly it is argued that gatekeepers transmit ideology via such selection processes. Therefore the process of gate keeping means that news output is essentially manipulated for reasons of practicality. The resultant news output is arguably less valid as it is fundamentally in censored form, it is a re-construction rather than a reflection of events. Similarly the process of gatekeeping means that some issues are marginalised and the form of news output is unrepresentative and less comprehensive.
2. Identify two sources of broadcast news from the same day. Provide full details of date, time, channel, etc.
I used television broadcast news on Sunday the 17th of March for analysis. The first news program I included is the 5 News Update on channel 5 between 12.30 and 12.40 p.m. The second news program I included is BBC News and Weather between 5.05 and 5.25 p.m.
3. List the main news items. What are the differences and similarities. Relate them to selection processes.
The top news story shown first in both broadcasts was the grenade attack in Islamabad, Pakistan. This story is high in news value, it is dramatic, unexpected and disastrous. The 5 News Update stated that 5 people - 2 of them Americans- had been killed, in terms of news value the story is significant as Americans are closely affiliated with the British, similarly Pakistan has a large ex- patriot community. A selection process applicable to this story which highlights a difference between the two broadcast is financial constraints. The 5 News Update relied on archive footage and pictures courtesy of the BBC to visually demonstrate the report, although the story had top billing financial constraints meant that Channel 5 were unable to explore the implications and effects in great detail. In contrast, the BBC News report on this story involved live interaction with an on- location correspondent and interviews with witnesses of the attack. Another selection process which separates the two broadcasts is the time available, 5 News Update explored the same amount of stories as BBC News but with half the time. Consequently the news was reported in bulletin style format with little detailed analysis. BBC News however included balanced and in- depth analysis of the grenade attack including footage of the American ambassador confirming that ‘the war against terror will continue’.
David Blunkett’s proposed ‘crack down’ on muggers, car- jackers and snatchers received second billing on BBC News, however it was 5th on 5 News Update. In terms of selection processes, this difference could be accounted for by the fact that the BBC is government funded whereas channel 5 is not, therefore the BBC is privy to more details involving government related issues due to press releases. The BBC were probably aware of this story before channel 5 and were able to explore it in more depth. Again, channel 5 had to rely on BBC footage to enhance this story, whereas the BBC News report involved discussion with the political correspondent and lengthy footage of David Blunkett and the shadow home secretary.
The story which received 2nd billing on channel 5 and 3rd billing on BBC1 was the inauguration of Robert Mugabe for a 5th term. The story is depicted as one of relatively high importance on both channels. This story is arguably not particularly high in news value, it is an ongoing story with little implication for the average Briton. However, since September 11th, instances of tyranny and behaviours associated with terrorism like those of Mugabe have grown in importance and interest due to the ongoing war against terror. Similarly, this ceremony is significant to the British with the EU leaders, including Tony Blair, denouncing it as ‘fundamentally flawed’. Financial costs may also have influenced the decision to run a story involving Mugabe. For the past few weeks, in the run up to the Zimbabwe elections, many broadcasts have been held in Africa. Consequently it is possible that the continued reports from Zimbabwe are due to the fact that channel 5 has invested a large proportion of its budget in flying over film crews, equipment and establishing satellite links. In comparison, BBC News were unable to report from Zimbabwe due to legal constraints enforced by President Mugabe. BBC journalists are banned from Zimbabwe as they are perceived to be in league with Tony Blair who is condemned by Mugabe as an ‘imperialist gangster’. Consequently, the BBC report was held from a neighboring African country and involved an interview with the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
The next story explored by both 5 News Update and BBC News was the halt in the cease fire between Palestine and Israel. Again, this story is high in news value as it has links with the Anglo-American ‘war against terror’ and an increasing fear towards Islamic militancy. However, it does not achieve the perceived importance of previous stories as it is of a highly complex nature which may alienate the selected target audience of both shows. Both shown in the afternoon daytime slot, the target audiences are largely inclusive and indiscriminate, aiming to attract as many viewers from the wide social spectrum as possible. The ongoing land dispute between Israel and Palestine holds little importance with the average Briton and is difficult to understand, therefore in terms of selection processes this is identified in both broadcasts as a less important story. Similarly, neither Israel nor Palestine is particularly allied with Britain, the story is depicted superficially in both broadcasts to maintain objectivity and avoid the alienation of the large Jewish and Islamic communities in Britain.
The final story on 5 News Update is the report on Liza Minelli’s latest wedding. This is probably a result of the likely audience and an attempt to lighten the tone of the broadcast. The program 5 News Update precedes Exclusive, a magazine show with a show business content. Consequently it is probable that those viewers watching the broadcast will be interested in news stories of this nature. Similarly this story is high in news value as it contains elements of human interest and celebrity. The story has positive emotional impact as it details Liza Minelli’s ‘happy ending’- combating an addiction to pain killers in order to marry her 4th husband David Gest. Similarly the story may have been subject to the news diary, Liza Minelli’s wedding received press coverage long before the event itself. It is therefore likely that channel 5 allocated broadcast time for this story in advance on the assumption that no breaking news occurred.
The final story reported on BBC News was the breaking news that the body of a young woman had been found in a shopping centre in Dartwood, Kent. One selection process applied to this story is the element of competition, producers aim to ‘break news’ in order to gain a competitive edge. It is probable that at the time of the channel 5 broadcast the story had not been broken, consequently the BBC held the monopoly on the news story. As a result, the story contained little definitive information and was comprised largely of speculation. For example, archive footage of missing teenager Danielle Jones was shown under the assumption that there may be a connection between the two incidents. However, despite the lack of details the story is high in news value, the discovery of a murdered young woman is tragic, dramatic and extraordinary.
In conclusion, there are many similarities between the two broadcasts in terms of selection processes and news items, largely due to the fact that little news is shown on Sunday and the target audiences were comprised of similar groups. The main separating factor between BBC News and 5 News Update appears to be the financial constraints placed upon the latter broadcast in comparison to the limitless government funding the BBC receives. As a result BBC News stories were documented at greater depth, particularly those relating to Britain’s government. In contrast, 5 News Update appeared inhibited by financial costs, relying on archive and courtesy footage and involving show business stories which do not require the colossal funding required to document foreign political affairs.
4. Use any recent national daily newspaper and identify the selection processes which determined the content of the front page.
The Daily Mail on Tuesday the 12th of March refers to three front page stories, two of these involving celebrities Nicole Kidman and Joan Collins. In contrast, the third, main story details the more dramatic increase in drug drivers. All of these stories, to a varying degree, are subject to selection processes applied by gatekeepers in order to assess issues of practicality and profitability in presenting them as front page news.
The first consideration in terms of selection processes, applicable to all three stories, is the target audience of the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail is perceived as a more up-market ‘black- top tabloid’ with moderately right wing political affiliation, reflecting the views of the white middle classes. All three stories appeal to such a readership profile in terms of content. Both Joan Collins and Nicole Kidman are appealing to middle class men and women in their status as sex symbols who maintain a sense of sophistication and intelligence. Similarly, the dramatisation of the drug driving story and the suggestion that there should be a ‘major clamp down’, is in keeping with the Conservative supporter profile of the target audience.
Another selection process, regarding practicality, is the amount of time, space and finances available. In terms of time and space available, it is fair to assume that the 12th of March was not a significant day for breaking news. The stories involving Nicole Kidman and Joan Collins are low in news value, save the fact that they involve celebrity icons. Therefore, it is probable that they were planned in advance and run due to the fact that there was no significant news to over ride them. In particular, the story involving Nicole Kidman’s new glasses would probably have been pre-conceived in the ‘news diary’. As it refers to a pre-planned awards ceremony, front page space could have been allocated in advance in anticipation of celebrity pictures.
Similarly, the Joan Collins story appears to be the result of a press release. The story makes reference to Joan Collins’ book which is yet to be released and is probably a pre-preemptive attempt at publicity. In terms of finance, both stories are practical and relatively cheap, requiring no on-location filming. In fact, the printed photographs are probably syndicated at low cost from another newspaper or extracted from archives.
Finally the drug driver story was probably selected in terms of news value and the fact that it reflects and reinforces the views of readers. It is dramatic, clear and negative in its consequences. The statistics showing that ‘positive tests for illegal drugs rose six fold’ are sensationalised, giving the story high impact and high interest for the reader. Similarly, it reflects the views of its target audience by noting the continued failures of the labour government.
5. Briefly explain how one theoretical perspective would view the content of the front page in terms of ideological influences.
The four theoretical perspectives: traditional Marxism, hegemonic Marxism, pluralism and feminism would all offer varying accounts of the ideological influences expressed via front page news. For example, Marxism, largely focusing on the manipulation and ‘brainwashing’ of readers by a powerful elite, is contested by pluralism, stressing the wide selection of views which reflect society as a whole.
The main front page story, documenting the ‘Horror Toll Of Drug Drivers’ is the most concise depiction of the subjective nature of news in terms of ideological influences. From a Marxist point of view, this story would be viewed as an attempt to brainwash the public and indoctrinate the ideas of the powerful elite. The story explores the effects of drug drivers but the causes are negated. From a Marxist point of view, this is an attempt by the ruling elite to shirk blame and responsibility for societal deviance to the lower classes. Professionals such as doctors are consulted to emphasise this ideology, upper middle classes are far- removed from such deviant behaviour. Yet the causes of drug taking are ignored, false consciousness is created, building the ‘us and them’ concept against drug users, instead of exploring the government and societal failures which have lead to such an increase in drug taking.
Alternatively, hegemonic Marxists would partially disagree with this view, citing that the ideology depicted in this story- a right wing stance towards deviance in society- is the result of its continual transmission through social institutions such as the church and the law, rather than direct manipulation. Hegemonic Marxists would argue that a hard line view on drug drivers is taken for granted by readers as it is constantly transmitted in such publications. Therefore it has become a reflection of ‘common sense’ concepts in society rather than a radical attempt at brainwashing.
The pluralist model would argue that the right wing bias reflected in this story is determined by the audience choice. As the Daily Mail has Conservative political affiliation, such a stance towards drug driving is shared by its readers.
Similarly, the pluralist model can be applied to the stories involving Nicole Kidman and Joan Collins. They are both attractive, but sophisticated women appealing to a middle class readership. These women are less likely to appear in working class papers such as The Sun or The Mirror, merely because they are more middle class icons. This would seem to enforce the pluralist perspective that the content of the media is governed by audience preference not ideology and agenda setting, as such this accounts for the wide variety found in the media.
However, both Marxists and feminists, for different reasons, would disagree with the pluralist perspective of such stories. From a Marxist point of view, both stories are an attempt by the ruling class to transmit capitalist ideology and create false consciousness. In the context of Nicole Kidman, the story has no significant informative value, she is simply photographed wearing a new pair of designer glasses. This transmits the capitalist concept of materialism to the readers. As a celebrity icon, Nicole Kidman has high status and her behaviour, ideas and attitudes are deemed significant by the mass media. From a Marxist point of view, this story is an attempt to manipulate readers into holding a materialistic view point, encouraging them to emulate Nicole Kidman and buy ‘designer glasses’. Alternatively, this could be viewed as an attempt by the media to create false consciousness. The perpetual preoccupation with the flamboyant life style of stars such as Joan Collins in the media is an attempt to trivialise more important societal issues such as the failure of the NHS. Consequently, emphasis on materialism and celebrity distracts readers from issues which may cause anger and disenchantment towards the ruling class.
Similarly, from a feminist point of view the stories involving Nicole Kidman and Joan Collins would be interpreted disparagingly. The fact that the central aspect of both stories is a photograph and there is little text would be argued as indicative of the marginalisation of women in the media. Women, particularly ‘beautiful’ celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Joan Collins, are exploited by the media for there ability to sell papers. Feminists would argue that the mass media is a patriarchal institution, consequently the opinions of Kidman and Collins are not sought, they are presented purely in terms of their attractiveness. Similarly, feminists may argue that Nicole Kidman is being exploited by the media to indirectly publicise the release of Moulin Rouge on video and DVD. This story appeared in the paper the day after its release and feminists would argue that Kidman’s looks are exploited to increase sales, both of the paper and the video.
In conclusion, the interpretation of news paper content is subjective and the identification of any ideology dependent upon the views of the reader. It is difficult to determine whether or not the public are manipulated by the mass media as, even if this is the case, the public would be ignorant towards such socialisation as they would already have internalised the ideas of the ruling class.
