It’s well-known that conflict sells. That’s why many commentators focus on keeping the audience perpetually outraged about certain issues; and many newscasters focus on violent crime or car crashes or various other tragedies. But let’s consider something equally important in news coverage: “framing.” It’s a term that comes from photography— deciding not only what’s in the shot but what’s left out. In his 1980 book “The Whole World is Watching,” media theorist Todd Gitlin applied this to news: what we include in our reporting versus what we leave out (for whatever reason), who we cover, who we ignore, who we take seriously, who we trivialize, etc. He discussed how the media establish patterns and interpretations and ways of discussing events, and those interpretations are accepted as the truth (or become the common wisdom), even though certain perspectives may have been omitted.
Gitlin was not accusing reporters of intentionally misleading the public. Rather, he was observing how reporters are shaped by their culture; and without even realizing it, they bring their cultural beliefs into their reporting. For example, the men who reported on the women’s movement of the 1960s were usually traditionalists about gender roles: even the late great Walter Cronkite admitted he did not understand why women were protesting. Given that perspective, the reporting from these men about second-wave feminism was often dismissive, or even mocking. Similarly, given the many reporters who had either covered World War II or served in the military, reporting about the students who protested the Vietnam war was often scornful or negative.
Gitlin also noted that some predictable “media frames” were used when telling certain news stories. One common way to frame a story was to find a conflict: choose a good guy and a bad guy, a hero vs. a villain. Conflict frames are easier to understand, but they run the risk of over-simplifying complex issues. And yet, even today, we see some reporters, and lots of commentators, telling the story with one side being portrayed positively and the other negatively. Again, Gitlin wasn’t asking everyone to say nice things about murderers or to find “the other side” when discussing the Holocaust. He was simply noting that people like to know who they should root for. And by arranging the facts to eliminate any doubt about who the good guy is (or the good country, or the good ideology), reporters (often unwittingly) and commentators (often intentionally) make sure the audience comes away with the “correct” interpretation.
So, forgive the long answer, but it’s a complicated relationship between conflict and journalism. On the one hand, reporters are trained to be accurate and objective, and to report on the day’s most important events fairly; but on the other hand, ratings are always a consideration, and broadcasters need to find stories that will hold the audience’s attention, and they need to present those stories in a way that will resonate with the viewers (or the listeners). Finding a conflict of some kind, finding a story with one side versus the other, has been a popular way to frame certain stories for more than 150 years. And while not all news stories are told that way, we can find many examples of the “conflict frame” in today’s journalism, just like we did in previous generations. MBC
Author Archives: Mudasir Bedar
MPhil Scholar
Why has television news media become a form of entertainment?
While I would love to blame this on the Reagan administration’s getting rid of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, the truth is that this was the end result of a long, slow process. I have seen issues of TV Guide from the late 1950s that were beginning to remark on how TV seemed to turn everything, even news programs, into entertainment. In a way, the availability of television, a visual medium, made us all voyeurs— looking for exciting and memorable images. And as more people watched, they then wanted to see something else that was exciting and memorable.
By the mid-1960s, studies began showing that people now had shorter attention spans than they did several decades earlier; and that meant if a TV program wanted to get good ratings, it had to find new ways to hold the audience’s attention. Programs that were serious and formal (and perceived as educational) did not get the ratings that faster-paced and exciting programs did. So, gradually, the idea that even a news broadcast should be delivered as a visual magazine, in order to hold the audience’s interest, became the dominant viewpoint. And by the 1980s, when the Fairness Doctrine officially ended, the process of making news more suitable for folks with short attention spans was already well underway.
What are some uncommon ways to work smarter instead of harder?
Stop multitasking: Multitasking takes a serious toll on productivity. Our brains lack the ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time. In moments where we think we’re multitasking, we’re just switching quickly from task to task. Focusing on a single task is a much more effective approach.
Use a “To-Don’t” List: We all know about to-do lists, and I find that they are generally great. They give me a great sense of achievement as I cross off the tasks done.However, I often find that we are doing non-essential tasks or ones that can easily be postponed. That is why many people recommend the to-don’t list.The to-don’t list is full of the things you need to avoid in order to find a good work-life balance in the long term. For example, you can add “mindlessly scroll through social media” or “people-pleasing” to your to-don’t list to help you focus on what really matters.
Meditate in the morning before work: There’s no better way to start your day than with a little meditation. Mornings can be tough, but clearing your mind first thing sets you up for a successful day. Not only does meditation provide you with increased concentration and a boosted mood, but it also counteracts stress and anxiety. The best part? The benefits of meditation don’t end when your session ends; they continue to affect you throughout the day.
Ask for help:Everyone loves a problem-solver. But sometimes we spend too much time looking for answers that we just can’t find ourselves. If you find yourself spending your day doing this, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The more you communicate, ask questions, and utilize your team, the quicker you’ll learn to do it on your own the next time.
Take more breaks:Taking breaks is one of my favorite ways to work smarter. Without real breaks, our brains get tired, and we get distracted. Once you’ve given up multitasking, try taking a break between each task you focus on.
Are news reporters historians by creating history?
There is a saying that “journalism is the first draft of history.” This means that while journalists are not trained historians, what they are reporting today becomes part of the record that future researchers will use as they try to learn more about past times (and past perceptions of events). I’m a media historian, and I’ve found old newspapers and magazines a fascinating resource—a repository of which stories were considered important, and which people were considered newsworthy. They also show me what people believed about “the other,” what the common slang expressions were, how new technologies were received at that time, which celebrities were in the public eye, and which social issues were considered controversial.
Of course, reporters are usually not seeking or researching historical information: they are usually focused on reporting about current events— informing the public about what just happened, when it happened, why it happened, etc. But there are some stories where it can be useful to seek out historical information, especially when trying to put a current event into some context— such as finding out if X ever happened before and what the reaction to it was back then. So, there is actually some truth in the assertion that reporters are creating history. That may not be their intention at the time, but years later, historians and researchers will look at those reports and learn from them.
What are some of the best tips for maintaining a wellness of mind?
Our mind is like a workaholic. Always thinking, always working. No matter how hard you try to send it off on a break, it will come back and work double hard to make up for lost time. Best is to let it do its job, you do yours! Avoid getting carried away by thoughts.
Smile a lot. Get up with a smile and go to bed after cracking a joke. Happiness is self-generated. Kick start it and you will never run short of it.
The physical body and mental body are inter-connected. One cannot be healthy without the other. Be active. Do yoga. Meditate regularly.
Live consciously. Eat when your tummy tells you to rather than listen to other organs like your eyes, tongue etc.
Be kind to your surroundings. Do not be a taker anymore. Instead, be a giver. The rivers are calling for attention. Forests need you to survive. The soil need conservation. Life, in general, needs humanity to be a caregiver now.
Happy living to you!
What is world War?
A “World War” is a war, usually engaged in by multiple large and small powers, across a large expanse of the earth. The sixteenth century through the early nineteenth century were scatted with them as the new colonial powers fought each other with the various colonies engaged on the world stage.
Most of them were pretty small, but the Napoleonic Wars of the late eighteenth century through the early nineteenth century were much larger. Great Britian came out of the Napoleonic wars as—what we would call today—the world’s strongest “Superpower.” For the next 99 years they exerted control and slammed a lid on any minor wars that might have triggered a World War to ensure a long-term peace known as “Pax Britannica.”
When enough large powers grew up to challenge them in the early twentieth century that “peace” broke down and deteriorated into a World War—known at the time as “the Great War”—that dwarfed the Napoleonic Wars. At the end of the Great War there were no nations strong enough to impose peace, and the world broke into another World War within twenty years that dwarfed the Great War and changed its name into World War I…the second one being named World War II.
At the end of WW II there were two powers strong enough to be called “Superpowers”—the USSR and the USA. Unfortunately, the USSR wanted to use it position to expand control over its neighbors. The US opposed them with a policy known as “containment.” Neither power was really strong enough to overwhelm the other power, and the world settled into another extended period of relative peace known as “Pax Americana” were the two sides engaged in a power struggle using proxies instead of face-to-face confrontations.
The Soviet-American confrontation lasted forty-five years and the Pax Americana has lasted almost seventy-five years at this point but is showing signs of strain. MBC
How would you define war?
A state of beligerance between two nations, or a metaphor for a concerted effort to fight a national threat.
We can talk about war between nations. War between city-states. War between Homo Erectus (humans) and Neanderthals. All of these involve arms and more than one person fighting.
We can also use it as a metaphor, as in the War on Drugs. Or a war on truth. Or a war on the dollar. These lack the usual parts that Von Klauswitz made in his observation that war is diplomacy by other means.
To get a conventional war to end, diplomacy must resume. And war becomes a possibility when diplomacy breaks down.
But if you want to mobilize America to fight drugs, you call it a war on drugs. It allows you to use Navy and Air Force resources to interdict drug transportation. It is not a real war because you cannot negotiate with drug dealers. Some would also say the war on terror is similar.
MBC Mudasir Bedar Chandio the writer and researcher.
What is love ?
When we here of love what is the very first thing that strikes our mind ?? Perhaps love is to make others happy, get happy seeing the one’s you love , all sorts of giving and taking , basically our thoughts dwell in a fantasy world.
Starting from an age of 5 to 10 probably – “being a child” we used to define love on the following basis-
When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”
“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
Love is when my mother makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.”
Above mentioned analogies are just a reflection of what we have seen not yet experienced.
Then comes an age where we start analyzing things , there is an urge to live through the feeling of “being loved”,experience it on our own ,thinking it to be one of the purest and happiest feeling.Some succeed in their process of being loved and to love,some face heart-breaks ,some are there to showcase love and then get cheated or becomes the doer.All situations can be referred to one’s thinking process or their mindset about what love actually is.For some it may be a time pass thing and as soon as they get bored they start ignoring it,to some it becomes their life,and to some it becomes the cause of their death (in real or virtual),but surely it does happen.
So far ,the question still remains unanswered – WHAT IS LOVE ALL ABOUT
Love is the driver for all great stories: not just romantic love, but the love of parent for child, for family, for country. It is the point before consummation of it that fascinates: what separates you from love, the obstacles that stand in its way.Love is basically a feeling not needed to be reciprocated,only to be felt be it of any kind,it should be free from expectations ,fantasies,and evil thoughts. As soon as even one of the above mentioned thing creeps in your mind the feeling of love is lost,then it becomes a war,game of ego,competition,jealousy ,revenge and what not but love. It is truly an unconditional feeling which actually makes life better if it’s pure but makes it hell if it is a mixture of jealousy , expectations, assertions etc. MBC.
What is the difference between communism, capitalism and socialism?
Capitalism is a political system in which individuals own all the property that isn’t required for the government. The government’s basic function consists in ensuring individual freedom and property rights, and enforcing contracts. The government could be democratic or not. In history, capitalist countries have included democratic and non-democratic regimes, but most have been democratic.
Socialism is a political system in which the state owns all the property. That state could be democratically controlled, but need not be. In history, most socialist societies were not democratic.
Communism is an ideal social system put forward by Karl Marx. As other posters have noted, communism is supposed to exist when production is so abundant there is no need for ownership, contracts, or pay. This idea violates one of the basic principles of economics, which is that human wants are unlimited and some resources are always scarce.
In common parlance, “Communism” is often used to refer to totalitarian socialism, such as that of the Soviet Union, Maoist China, Castroist Cuba, and North Korea. These countries severely limited private property. The state or workers’ communes owned most of the property. The ruling parties in those countries called themselves “Communist,” so the name has stuck.
All economies in the world today are a mix of capitalism and socialism. No country bans all forms of private property, and no country embraces laissez-faire capitalism in the sense classical liberals advocate. China, though ruled by a Communist Party, is not strongly socialist now.
MBC / Mudasir Bedar Chandio
What is Mass Communication?
Without mass communication, it’s hard to imagine what exactly the world would look like today. Even in the most remote and third-world of places, such communications can be found being utilized. Mass Communication makes use of communication mediums like newspapers, television, books, films etc. to relay information to a wide range of people.
A Mass Communication course teaches the process of transmitting information on a large scale to a substantial segment of population through the use of these mediums. It is a branch of social science that falls under the umbrella of communication studies. The study of Mass Communication is also majorly related with the effects of the content of mass communication on people’s behaviors, attitude, emotions and opinions, and how the information is received on the other end of the process. Mass Communication studies can be pursued at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is ideal for students having interest in the areas of Journalism, Broadcasting, Radio, Advertising and Public Relations.
Various Digital communication programs like DCLP are being introduced in mass communication colleges to blend the traditional media techniques with the new media modern strategies. Jag School of Transformative Skills (JSTS College) formerly known as the NBA Group of Institutions is one of the best mass communication institutes with various digital communication and Journalism courses.
Mudasir Bedar Chandio / MBC
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