| [28|07|2004] Media and Culture: Criteria, Choices and Agendas
The role of the media with regards to culture. The criteria, choices and agendas in the relationship between media and culture. This was the debate´s proposal which had a great participation of the public due to the absence of a few participants. The moderator Nayse Lopes, a journalist, began talking about the moment we´re living in , changes we went through and things that never happened such the union of mega-companies to control the media. When she asked if there was anyone representing the media only one person raised his hand. “This shows the interest of our press in culture”, she said.
The great highlight was the north american Danny Schechter, who touched a very controversial issue regarding the press. He raised several issues related to the media which showed how our journalist coleagues let go of their values for this supposed objectivity. “In one side we have the market and the pressure of the corporations and on the other, the journalists´wish to speak up and report social realities”.
With a critical, strong and updated speech he mentioned the fact that people ,all over the world, are becoming aware of those frailties and the media power. He showed data that revealed that 70% of the north americans are not happy with the media. At the same time, the media professionals are also unhappy. “The more you watch TV, the less you know”.
He reported a recent story of a woman journalist from a public Irish TV who confronted the North American president George W. Bush,. The president was furious and cancelled the interview. The journalist´s position was surprising since criticism is something that has not been showed in the United States, and, according to him, the journalist´s real duty. “Journalists represent the public interest. Jornalists ,these days, are under-informing, if one can call that information”.
He also mentioned the Internet as a unifying force against homogenization. He talked about the media merge, and how the militars have been using it as a war front. “If they have no media, they won´t win the war”. According to Schechter, the militars want the media to give no replies but only to accept things. They want no challenges. According to him, the North American population have no Idea of what´s going on outside their country due to lack of information. “When people ignore what they don´t know, they have nothing to say. The Unites States have become an under-developed country,because people are not being informed. We have a lot of technologiy but a great concentration of power and ideology”.
Colunist and responsible for the Media Channel , Schechter has released a documentary called “Weapons of Mass disappointment”, where he chalenges the power of the media. “When the media becomes a structure for manipulation, stimulating the war, for example, it promotes cinicism and despair”. He continued saying that this use and control of the media is a threat to democracy. Aware of the situation in Brazil he said that the media concentration in the conutry should be known all over the world.
He also criticised the ongoing cult of celebrities that, according to him, destroys the basic context of what men is . “Media is power, not only a group of institutions. The spectator has become a little lamb”. He showed he is a fighter when he mentioned Medias Channel projects and encouraged everyone to take their active role. “The challenge is to make communication bilateral. We must struggle, resist, be hopeful. There is a very hard battle we have to fight . I do it because I think it´s my duty”.
The French musical producer Bela Bowé was the next speaker and talked about another aspect of the discussion about the media. He talked about the project carried out by the international French radio station, the difficulty to have world music played in France and the stimulus for new talents given by the Music Award, created by their radio station. He also talked about how advertising works in French radio stations and the change in the record industry. “I´m very concerned about the way youths have access to music, they don´t care about who the artists are ,they sometimes don´t even know their names. This is very dangerous for some forms of music”, he concluded .
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