Social stability and harmony: A new mission for the press?

Merrill, John C.

doi:10.1080/01292980009364783

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Media ideology refers to media organizations' role in society and their reasons for existence (Shoemaker and Reese, 1996). In the USA and UK, journalists consider themselves as the fourth estate (Hearns-Branaman, 2011;Pfetsch, 2001) and are protected by law while in China, a more submissive press system is in place (Merrill, 2000;Parsons, 1997). State-press ideology affects the relationship between organizations and the media and influences the way news gets disseminated (Pang, 2006;Shoemaker and Reese, 1996).…”

Section: External Influencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media relations in an evolving media landscape

Pang

Chiong

Hassan

2014

Journal of Communication Management

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the viability of the media relations framework, Mediating the Media model (Pang, 2010), and ascertains its relevance to practitioners in a changing media landscape in Singapore where social media is emerging as an alternative source of information tool. Design/methodology/approach – In-depth interviews with 20 media relations practitioners who were former journalists. Practitioners with journalism experience were chosen as they perform better at media relations (Sallot and Johnson, 2006a; Sinaga and Callison, 2008). Findings – The model posits two sets of influences, i.e. internal (journalist mindset, journalist routines and newsroom routines) and external (extra-media forces and media ideology) in media relations. Internal influences were found to be more prevalent than external influences and journalist mindset was the most pervasive factor influencing media relations. Research limitations/implications – Findings are based solely on interviews and some claims cannot be corroborated. As this is a qualitative study situated in one country, it is also not generalizable. Practical implications – This study will serve useful insights for new practitioners to approach media relations in a holistic and systematic manner and for seasoned practitioners to re-evaluate their current media strategies. Originality/value – This inaugural test found rigor in the model, and affords an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of journalist-practitioner relationships in a changing media landscape. It also presents an intriguing opportunity for the model to be applied to countries where the media industry operates under vastly different environments so as to ensure that the model stands up to scrutiny as it seeks to be positioned as a viable model for media relations.

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Section: External Influencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media relations in an evolving media landscape

Pang

Chiong

Hassan

2014

Journal of Communication Management

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“…In the USA, for instance, journalists largely operate without fear or favor because they are protected in the first amendment. On the contrary, in China, because it subscribes to an authoritarian press ideology (Merrill, 2000), there is a "total integration of media and government" (Parsons, 1997, p. 72).…”

Section: External Forces That Shape Media Relationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediating the media: a journalist‐centric media relations model

Pang

2010

Corporate Communications: An International Journal

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Purpose -The prevailing challenge faced by practitioners is to conduct effective media relations, especially with the proliferation of diverse media platforms both online and offline. For such a predominant and critical function, a systematic approach needs to be offered. This paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach -A new model is developed, drawing on insights from corporate communications and journalism literature. Findings -This model identifies two sets of influences that practitioners should seek to understand. The internal influences include journalist mindsets, journalist routines, and newsroom routines. The external influences include extra-media forces and media ideology. Research limitations/implications -At this juncture, it is not able to predict causalities among the influences. What this model is able to establish is the connections among the influences. Future research can address that. Practical implications -This model is instructive for new practitioners to view media relations as a holistic process rather than merely an information subsidy function. For seasoned practitioners, it serves to encourage them to re-evaluate their current strategies and to engage in strategic thinking on how to transform their current practices. Originality/value -The author has developed a new model called mediating the media that is meant to equip practitioners to conduct media relations in a systematic manner with the primary objective of winning the journalists over by the knowledge of their work and their profession. This may form the basis for an initial trail that takes media relations to the next level.

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“…The West has generally associated press freedom with the characteristics of Siebert's so-called libertarian theory of the press (1956) or the CHAOS -competition, heterogeneity, autonomy, openness and selfishness -paradigm (Merrill, 2000a). Stein (1966: 11) does exactly that when he describes a free press as one that 'acts as a market place where ideas, opinions and theories are served up to citizens for their acceptance or rejection' without a government censor hanging 'over the shoulder of the editorial writer'.…”

Section: Concept Of Press Freedommentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some 1600 short-wave stations broadcast from 160 countries. Although the 'freedom principle' (Merrill, 2000a) debars government from assuming the functions of the Fourth Estate, press freedom advocates hardly raise an eyebrow at government-run media at the international level. As Pillai (1999Pillai ( -2000 points out, 'The desire to control unfavorable information is common to governments everywhere, only the degree of control differs.'…”

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confidence: 99%

Freedom of the Press

Gunaratne

2002

Gazette (Leiden, Netherlands)

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The world system theory can provide a refreshingly different perspective of global press freedom. The starting point of assessing press freedom should be the world system, not the ‘atomistic’ nation-state, because one cannot understand the part without knowing the whole, which is more than the sum of the parts. This article proposes the application of a revised formulation of the world system theory – which presumes a capitalist world-economy dominated by three competing center-clusters each associated with a dependent hinterland of peripheral economic clusters – to examine global press freedom. It proposes a three-tiered typology for measuring press freedom at the world system, nation-state and individual levels. It suggests that press freedom indices should factor in the power of the center-clusters, themselves led by a hegemon cluster, to flood the hinterlands technologically with a barrage of information-communication.

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Social stability and harmony: A new mission for the press?

Cited by 11 publications

References 3 publications

Media relations in an evolving media landscape

Media relations in an evolving media landscape

Mediating the media: a journalist‐centric media relations model

Freedom of the Press

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