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Roy GREENSLADE
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Professor of Journalism, City University; Media Commentator; Blogger, The Guardian, London |
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| In every society, from the dawn of newspapers onwards, the political elite have sought to manage the output of journalists. So journalists, having first been required to wrestle freedom from political control, have always regarded politicians with suspicion. There is a seemingly ever-present fear among journalists, even in advanced democracies, that their freedom could be compromised by politicians at any moment. No matter that the political and media élites often overlap, in Britain the rivalry between them remains intense and unrelenting. Both believe they are acting in the public interest and, quite plausibly, both may be correct. The outcome of the conflict, as both struggle to control the news agenda, is ultimately good for society. Neither side, however, will agree that it is so. |
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Verena NOWOTNY
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Spokesperson, Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations, New York |
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| Reality is not absolute. As John Lennon once said, "Reality leaves a lot to imagination" . Politicians undoubtedly put their spin on events and messages, however, that´s their job if they want to succeed in convincing people that their policies are reasonable. But also journalists offer their perspectives, by stressing facts or leaving others out. Politicians tend to describe a glass as half full, whereas most journalists will call it half empty. The reality is the same, judgements differ. These discussions about judgements between politicians and journalists are rather healthy for a check-and-balance democracy - as long as they are based on facts, not (only) on emotions or a mental state. |
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Lance PRICE
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Director of Communications under former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Writer, Broadcaster and Commentator, London |
Abstract
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| When Barack Obama observed "I am who the media says I am. I say what they say I say. I become who they say I've become" he was a frustrated politician still on the ascent to power. He would not say the same today. Effective politicians can be what they want to be. Those who exaggerate the power of journalists weaken themselves and normally fail fully to achieve their potential. Politicians can create reality. Some journalists seek to understand and illuminate that reality. Others less interested in the facts are more concerned to tackle a different reality, the competitive market in which they operate. These less fastidious journalists are as likely to distort the truth as a weak politician who believes he can make something real by claiming it is real. |
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Andrei SOLDATOV
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Co-founder and Editor, Agentura.Ru, Moscow |
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| In 2000s the new media in Russia were considered as the last stand for democracy: it was the only part of the media that was able to operate freely since television came under government control and the newspapers fell into the hands of oligarchs loyal to the Kremlin. But the true reason of the adopted soft-line might be simpler. The Russian new media is unlikely to pose any threat to the authorities, being dependent as it is for its content on the few surviving independent newspapers. In turn, the printed media are cautious in using the information published on the websites, as the latest example shows, when in July the Russian secret service FSB documents were published on the Internet (the same time as Wikileaks published Afghanistan's documents) and went completely unnoticed because Russian printed press did not cover the story. |
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Peter SZEGÖ
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Online Journalist, hvg.hu, Budapest |
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In my presentation I am going to talk about two political events, an earlier and a recent one. My aim is to show how these events are presented in the Hungarian political media.
The first event is the Hungarian Socialist Party´s (HSP) congress held last April when delegates accepted the new prime minister, the free market-orientated Mr. Bajnai, and they sang the Internationale, the anthem of the international working-class movement.
In connection with the second event I would like to point out how the speaker of Parliament, Mr. Schmitt was elected the President of Hungary by the Parliament in June.
I have chosen two papers and a news portal: left-wing Népszava (" People´s Voice") related to HSP, the Christian-conservative Magyar Nemzet ("Hungarian Nation"), close to the recent government and its party, Fidesz and finally a news portal, the independent, more or less liberal HírszerzQ (" Intelligence Agent" , www.hirszerzo.hu).
I shall present not only reports but pictures too. |
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