Page 134 - Myths for the Masses An Essay on Mass Communication

Mass Communication and the Meaning of Self in Society

fact, anonymity – most rampant among visual representations on
television produced by photographs and film or video clips – and
lack of insight into the ideological make-up of those who construct
reality and the social or political relation of knowledge to social
formations, have contributed to the separation, if not isolation, of
mass communication practices from public interest. There is no
institutionally sanctioned participation – or partisanship, which is
identified with specific voices (or faces) in the realm of mass com-
munication – that allows for the biased or ideologically determined
construction of knowledge as news, for instance.
Likewise, objectivity as a ritual of journalism reproduces an inde-
fensible position regarding the disclosure of the interests and desires
of journalists. In fact, it may even obstruct – or distort – the con-
tributions of journalists, causing dissatisfaction among producers of
information and an increasing level of misunderstanding among the
public.Yet, recent developments leading to a concentration of news
production, and to a reduction in the number of independent
outlets, have reinforced if not strengthened the claims of news
organizations regarding their integrity – that is, the objectivity of
their constructions of reality.The reason may not be simple, but lack
of access – combined with the ever-increasing complexity of social,
political, and economic issues or policy decisions – has made it more
difficult to establish counterclaims that expose the ideological nature
of the news and the underlying political position of media organi-
zations. In addition, it has become more complicated, if not impos-
sible, for the public – in intellectual and economic terms – to switch
to competing or alternative sources of information.
Consequently, exposure to the process of mass communication is
not grounded in knowledge of – or in a partnership with – the
public discourse, but in belief or trust in the representation of reality
by a commercial institution whose dedication to the public inter-
est is seriously undermined by the needs of a business culture. Such
a trust is intuitive, it is typically based on past experience, ranging
from the longevity of the relationship with media institutions and
the availability of alternative sources of information or entertain-
ment, to degrees of satisfaction with the style and content of
the media discourse. At times audiences are in a position to judge
standards of accuracy (the chronicling of local events, for instance);

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