The Citizen Kane Effect
Robert C. Engesser
Com 2230/01
Jake McNeill
The Citizen Kane Effect.
Alexis de Tocqueville once said (as cited in Stovall, 2002), “In order to enjoy the inestimable benefits that the liberty of the press ensures, it is necessary to submit to the inevitable evils that it creates.” Indeed, the history of our nation is replete with instances of unethical, or sloppy, journalism. The American news media influences not only the ways in which we are informed but also the ways in which we think and act. However, in the pursuit of ratings and circulation, objectivity and the public interest are often cast aside. In the following essay, I will demonstrate how the quality of the mainstream media has been diluted. I will discuss journalistic ethics as they relate to recent events. The news media provides an important service to society. By using the power of information to incite, to provoke, or to promote an agenda, the media is guilty of creating the “Citizen Kane Effect.”
Citizen
Kane, universally regarded as one of the best films of all time, was loosely
based on the life of media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Hearst, in his battle with Joseph Pulitzer
for the readers of
As reported by
MSNBC (2005), in their article “Rangers’
Journalism can
also have a negative impact on society. It
was thirty minutes before I had to be at work, which is normally plenty of
time. However, as I neared my office, I
discovered that thirty minutes might not have been enough. It was the day that Hurricane Katrina struck the
city of
Presidential campaigns are fought, and sometimes won, in the realm of news media. The battles that go on between journalists over the next big election story can be even bloodier. In the 2004 presidential race, Dan Rather of CBS News reported that George W. Bush was absent without leave much of his National Guard career. An already hotly debated topic, Bush’s military record received an almost devastating blow. Unfortunately, Rather’s story proved more devastating to CBS’ credibility than it did to the President. As reported by MSNBC.com (2004), the documents, which were the foundation for Rather’s story, were proven obvious fakes. “Based on what we now know,” CBS News President Andrew Heyward said, “CBS News cannot prove that the documents are authentic, which is the only acceptable journalistic standard to justify using them in the report. We should not have used them” (MSNBC.com, 2004). In their haste to air potentially incendiary material during a presidential election, CBS News shook the public’s faith in journalists to its foundations. Such irresponsible reporting during a major election also gave credence, deserved or not, to the belief that the media has a liberal bias in this country. It may be a long time before people will come to trust CBS News, or any other news organization, again.
Ethical journalism is a seemingly simplistic concept. However, it is exceedingly difficult for educated and opinionated people to maintain complete objectivity. Robert Miraldi (1990), in Muckraking and Objectivity: Journalism’s Colliding Traditions, defines the objective journalist as “simply an observer, who follows events, describes occurrences, provides background, and perhaps lends some perspective. But he or she is not an active partner in shaping events or reforming society.” Miraldi (1990) believes a journalist should be a stabilizing influence on society. What interferes with objectivity is the inherent conflict of interest every reporter battles in every story. Michael Kronenwetter (1988), in Journalism Ethics, states that “all conflicts of interest are corrupting” even when reporters are not intentionally dishonest or improperly motivated. Nevertheless, these conflicts hinder the reporters world view and purity of judgment. Further harming the overall quality of journalism is the lack of responsibility shown by journalists. In Good News, Bad News: Journalism Ethics and the Public Interest, Jeremy Iggers (1999) provides insight into the absence of accountability present in the news media. “Another obstacle to more constructive and responsible journalism,” writes Iggers (1999), “is the myth of neutrality. The journalists’ claim that “we don’t make the news, we only report it,” functions implicitly – and frequently explicitly – as a denial of responsibility: Don’t blame us, we’re just the messengers.” Iggers (1999) is clearly trying to demonstrate that some news, while important, can be detrimental to the subject of the report or the public itself. Once reported, few journalists will accept responsibility for the consequences.
Unfortunately,
no clear solution exists for the problem of irresponsible journalism. The media is controlled by human beings and,
thus, is inherently flawed. Greater
restraint must be placed on the attempts by the media to control events using
the podium at their disposal. There
needs to be a higher level of accountability that the media is held to. Journalism used to promote an agenda is not
true journalism. Using the media
influence events and, as a result, make more headlines is unethical. Charles Foster Kane, as played by Orson
Welles, was a tragic figure. In his
relentless pursuit of power and influence, Kane perverted everything he
touched. Despite his successes, Kane
died alone. No one mourned him and no
one loved him. Unless the field of
journalism realizes that it is more important to report the news objectively than
to subjectively influence it, Journalism could suffer the same fate as Charles
Foster Kane.
References
Blum, B. (2005, September 13). Time to End the Media Circus.
Retrieved
Iggers, J. (1999). Good News, Bad News: Journalism Ethics and the Public Interest.
Kronenwetter, M. (1988).
Journalism Ethics.
(pp.18-21, 32, 89).
Leslie, J. (2005, September 2). New Gas Arrives for Some Stations. WXIA-TV
Retrieved
www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=68623
Miraldi, R. (1990).
Muckraking and Objectivity: Journalism’s Colliding Traditions.
MSNBC.com. (2004, September 21). CBS News Admits Bush Documents Can’t Be
Verified. MSNBC.com. Retrieved
MSNBC.com. (2005, June 28). Ranger’s Rogers Breaks Hand Punching Cooler.
MSNBC.com. Retrieved
Seib, P. (1994). Campaigns and Conscience: The Ethics of Political Journalism.
Stovall, J. (2002). Writing for Mass Media. Pearson Education, Inc. (pp. 114).
Copy of Proposal Thanks Chris! I could see an effort with your proposal, so don't worry! >>> "Chris Engesser" <rcengesser@msn.com> 09/15/05 2:15 PM >>>I have to apologize for my lack of effort this semester thus far. Thisis the first semester in over a year where I have had a job in addition to school. It's not an excuse, I know, but it is part of the reason that my attention and my motivation has been divided of late. The half assed reference list I sent you before has been corrected below. You should expect see better work from me from this point on.-Chris >From: "Stephen McNeill" <smcneil2@kennesaw.edu>>To: <rcengesser@msn.com>>Subject: Re: Proposal for Report #1