Ewa Sosnowska, for the last eight years working for Kurier Poranny, the biggest regional daily paper published in Białystok. Involved in journalism and local papers for eleven years. Working for the department responsible for breaking news and presenting the most important problems of the inhabitants of the city and the whole województwo.
Answers
- The most important role of the media is definitely to inform. Above all, it’s the principal duty of the press (especially the daily press), radio and television. News is also the domain of serious internet portals. Publishers always face a dilemma, for commercial reasons, over which of the three roles - to inform, to entertain or to educate - should have priority and receive more attention. There’s nothing wrong as long as the media openly state their objective so that audiences can make informed choices.
In my opinion, the most basic duty of the media is to inform but I’d like to stress that news must be objective and honest. There has been an argument going on for many years now between different media representatives as to how news should be delivered. Should journalists who present the news share their commitment, emotions and opinions with the viewers/readers, especially as aggressive journalism is more popular? Or should journalists concentrate on presenting dry facts? To some extent such dilemmas have been resolved by classifying journalism into different forms. In the case of commentary, column writing, or polemic, a journalist (known by name) can show his / her views and opinions. But in a piece of reportage they cannot do this. The journalistic code demands that a clear distinction be made between news sensu stricto and commentary, between fact and opinion. Objectivity and honesty in breaking news, according to the journalistic code, defines how useful a journalist is at his/her job. Objectivity and honesty always go together, you cannot have one without the other. Objectivity is a question of professionalism and expertise. It is not some abstract and unattainable value, as some people believe. To be objective in their work journalists should check the news from different sources before they deliver it to the public. Nowadays, however, more and more often, the media are at risk of being manipulated, while the constant rush, and a certain sloppiness in obtaining and delivering news, leads to the media failing to fulfil their most important role - to inform honestly.
- ‘I want to create a new reality and shape appropriate social attitudes.’ This is how most young journalists express their wish to be involved in journalism when talking to their future employers. The belief that the media have a socially important role to play has long been present in the public consciousness. The public media have a special responsibility and I agree that they should maintain a high standard of delivery. But I have serious doubts concerning the ‘mission of the media’, with ‘mission’ understood as shaping public taste. This kind of thinking often leads in practice to manipulating audiences, to news selection and self-censorship which, I believe, is the enemy of media independence. It’s frightening to think that some representatives of Media Programme Boards (Rady Programowe), convinced of their mission and quite sure they know what’s good and bad for the viewers/readers, could decide the content and form of delivery. The media serve societies so they should cater for the needs and expectations of the public. There’s, of course, a ‘catalogue’ of what the media should not provide, e.g. ‘pure evil’. So, clearly, people who decide the content must not be sociopaths or the like.
- Full objectivity is possible because, as I have already said, it’s a question of professional expertise and maturity, and not some kind of abstract value. There exists a belief that when journalists present an issue or some news they always do it from their own perspective and this means a lack of objectivity. This is not necessarily so. Journalists’ first impressions, opinions, emotional involvement and a certain zeal for discovering the truth, which is especially relevant in investigative journalism, are indispensable components of gathering news. However, when it comes to verifying facts and providing news, some distance is crucial. Not all journalists can maintain objectivity.
Laziness, sloppiness and sheer dishonesty are the enemies of objectivity. Today when so many firms, offices and institutions have a staff of public relations officers, journalists are especially exposed to the danger of thoughtless word for word repetition of any communiqué. Publishing them in the media without prior verification is an example of manipulation and lack of objectivity. A journalist is entitled to present his/her opinions and comments but never while presenting news. Some commercial TV channels are in the habit of giving quick commentaries, a few sentences long, after each item of news. It gets on my nerves. It isn’t objective.
- Since the early 90’s, i.e. since the major turning point in our history, the media have been following the style and methods of work of Western countries. Polish commercial stations quite consciously take the example of the Western media, adopting their ways of breaking news and their organization of work. Some licensed foreign programmes, e.g. quizzes, chat shows, reality shows, and even serials have become a constant feature of TV broadcasts. Western corporations and publishing houses own many Polish newspaper titles and media companies, and they dictate their style. A number of Polish magazines and weeklies come up to the standards of the West but unfortunately, the Polish media, while aping the West, fall prey to the worst possible trends. Gossip, fashion, sensation and interviews with megastars always sell well.
- Freedom of speech and media independence are the basis for democracy. Censorship is an attack on the basic freedom of citizens. A free citizen has a right to be informed and to his/her own assessment of reality. It is the duty of the media in democratic countries to obtain and present all the news pertaining to social, political or economic life. Censorship, selection or the suppressing of news is unacceptable. But freedom of speech should not be understood as one’s right to libel, slander or violate an individual’s liberty. To limit this kind of abuse censorship is not needed as an institution. In a democratic country all this is governed by the law - civil law, criminal law, or the constitution. We must remember that the responsibility for one’s words is worth as much as freedom of speech.
- It’s difficult to choose. By profession I’m a user of all these media. I devote an equal amount of time to reading the press and to watching news programmes on TV (different channels, both public and commercial). I read the service of news agencies, also on the internet, and of course I listen to the radio. What do I like as a person, not as a journalist? Frankly speaking I like the things which help me to relax, i.e. listening to Program Trzeci (Radio 3), watching Discovery channel or National Geographic, because I’m curious about the world.
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