When the success of a media organization is bound to the rules of capitalism, it’s unsurprising that their objectives becomes capitalistic. The responsibilities of the 4th estate and the incentives of capitalism are misaligned.
The catch-22 is that the solution to this is regulation by the government. But the 4th estate is itself a check on government. So if the government is given regulatory control over the 4th estate, you open up the possibility of neutering that check.
Then again, that check has already been neutered by capitalism so…
Unless impartiality under other systems can be demonstrated I wouldn’t say that’s a feature of capitalism.
In fact it was under democratic capitalism that the idea of an independent and impartial 4th estate was created.
Concentration of powers seems to be a global phenomenon regardless of system - in fact the capitalist societies seem to be the last bastions of such journalism.
I don’t have any answers, just observations.
You can’t unroll the internet, mobile computing or bite sized info-entertainment.
You may be able to regulate algorithms that promote addictive behaviours.
Good journalism needs better protections and incentive structures, but it’s still trying to figure it out.
Let’s hope it does before we get entertained to death.
When the success of a media organization is bound to the rules of capitalism, it’s unsurprising that their objectives becomes capitalistic. The responsibilities of the 4th estate and the incentives of capitalism are misaligned.
The catch-22 is that the solution to this is regulation by the government. But the 4th estate is itself a check on government. So if the government is given regulatory control over the 4th estate, you open up the possibility of neutering that check.
Then again, that check has already been neutered by capitalism so…
Unless impartiality under other systems can be demonstrated I wouldn’t say that’s a feature of capitalism.
In fact it was under democratic capitalism that the idea of an independent and impartial 4th estate was created.
Concentration of powers seems to be a global phenomenon regardless of system - in fact the capitalist societies seem to be the last bastions of such journalism.
I don’t have any answers, just observations.
You can’t unroll the internet, mobile computing or bite sized info-entertainment.
You may be able to regulate algorithms that promote addictive behaviours.
Good journalism needs better protections and incentive structures, but it’s still trying to figure it out.
Let’s hope it does before we get entertained to death.