MDSA01H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Social Responsibility, Fourth Estate, Industrial Revolution
Document Summary
The european roots of media and western society: the middle ages, the renaissance, the reformation & counter-reformation, the enlightenment, the industrial revolution, the modern era. Alignment with (or ownership by) political parties. Perspectives on the media: the press as the (cid:862)fourth estate(cid:863): a(cid:374) i(cid:374)stitutio(cid:374) to a(cid:272)t as a politi(cid:272)al watchdog and guard the rights of the citizen, significance of freedom of the press: found in the canadian charter, us. Essential that the press be free and should be untainted by other interests. In canada and europe, it is possible to limit free speech based on a consideration of its consequences. For example, a reporter limiting crime details to ensure accused gets fair trial: the mass society thesis. Media are seen as a unifying force in society, a means of conjoining minds in common cause and action, although not necessarily toward positive ends.
