The Independence of Media from the States

The Independence of Media from the States Media is an important part of human life. There are a lot of different functions of media, informing, creating social opinion, adverting, etc.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Independence of Media from the States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Living in the free democratic world, many people are sure that the media is independent from states and that TV, radio and newspapers are free for creating and presenting the material each of these department wants. However, this is not really so. Each time people refer to media, they expect to consider the data which is presented as a part of free press, however, this is not exactly so. Media depends on the states under which it has to function. It is impossible to imagine an absolutely free media which does not belong to anyone and does not responsible to anything. Modern mass media is owned by specific groups in the state and the power of these people and organizations make each release dependant. Social opinion is not created on the basis of the free press, states always try to make sure that public opinion is created in such a way that powerful people want it to be. Considering the level of the dependency of mass media from the states it performs into, it is possible to say that even the most democratic countries have the state influence on mass media. Mass media is not independent from the state totally, however, some level of independence is still present. No one is able to contradict the opinion that democracy is the regime we are trying to live into. Therefore, the democracy presupposes the freedom of mass media. However,Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More the mediahave a double relation to democracy. On the one hand the emergence of a global information society is a powerful democratizing force. Yet, television, and the ot her media, tend to destroy the very public space of dialogue they open up, through relentless trivializing, and personalizing of political issues. Moreover, the growth of giant multinational media corporations means that unelected business tycoons can hold enormous power (Meier 2002, p. 298). Being connected to political issues, mass media cannot remain uncontrolled. Society believes that the themes discussed on TV are presented by their desire to watch them, people are sure that making a choice they do it just because they want to do that choice, however, this opinion is wrong. If one tries to answer the question what controls and forms human opinion, he/she will find only one possible answer – mass media. However, most of the data which appear on BBC and other world spread sources of information exist under strong censorship. The â€Å"double relation to democracy† (Meier 2002, p. 298) is explained by the desire of the mass media sources to show personal freedom from any authority, however, at the same time, it is impossible to say for sure that even in the most democratic countries mass media is free. Democracy is defined as the participation of the citizens of the country in making decisions, however, there is no a word about absence of the control of the government over people.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Independence of Media from the States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The power of broadcasting cannot be overestimated, and the governmental structures understand this. Thus, the very beginning of the media era was controlled by the government and the priorities of such control may be enumerated. Remembering the history, the fist official newspapers and TV shows in most countries were created under the strict supervision of the government. Later, mass media tried to become an independent industry, however, each time it appeared in hands of powerful people who have to deal with the state and its interests. Hesmondhalgh (2007) believes that even living in a democratic era, government cannot allow such powerful industry to remain without influence. If mass media was not under total control, information presented on TV could be frustrating. Many examples may be remembered when important data devoted to international relations, national business, health care, politics, economics, etc. is not shown in mass media. It does not mean that there are no people who know anything about the issue. It means, that there is a censorship which does not allow some information to appear in mass media until it is necessary for the state. One may refer to the secrets which are released on TV, about the scandals and anther data which is not useful for the government. The Internet is full of information and the power of broadcasting there cannot be compared with TV, radio and newspaper. However, the information online is referred as just the gossips which are not tr usted until the official declaration is presented. Is not this a control of the government? Is it possible to say that all the data which is appeared in mass media is trusted until the official declaration is presented? The answer is negative.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More So, the influence of state on the mass media is more obvious than one may think, still, many people try to reject this opinion claiming about the freedom of speech and press. The problem of ownership should be considered as one of the ways of the media control by the state (Doyle 2002). Looking objectively at the problem can one answer the questions who own the TV channels, newspapers, and the Internet browsers which control the search engine capacity? Is it society who controls mass media? Such big industry cannot function without monitoring. Mass media is an industry which brings much profit to those who owns it. Of course, governments do not own all the companies connected with mass media, but they are the property of people who support the interest of the government and make all possible to work in the interest of the state. Owning one particular mass media company, such as BBC or CNN, or another one of the same prestige, the influence on other sources of information is guarante ed. Ownership of the mass media companies is a serious affair as those who own newspapers and TV channels have an opportunity to control human thoughts and ideas. Moreover, one big channel may apply to the unity of smaller channels or work under their supervision that creates the chain of the connected and dependent sources of information which gets the data from the bigger sources. It is hard to believe that states leave the biggest sources of information without control. The information has become one of the weapons of the modern world. It costs too much and it is hard to find it. It is impossible to imagine the state which does not have an opportunity to use such powerful weapon as information, therefore, the ownership of the mass media industry is a crucial problem for the safety and prosperity of any developed state. Bagdikian (2004) is sure that â€Å"the media world – newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television, movies, and now the Internet – occupies a beg inning of the end of government-as-protector-of-the-consumer and the starts of government-as the-protector-of –big-business† (p. 11). It is possible to agree with the statement in some way as looking at the information which appears in newspapers, more attention is devoted to business, however, the politics does not remain apart. Most of the data presented in media is devoted to business world. Ads influence the opinion of people. Advertising make people buy the products of the companies which are shown more frequently. There are also situations when advertising becomes too occupying and in this case government interferes. It is obvious that â€Å"the greatest threat to freedom of expression in the United States or elsewhere is the possibility that private entrepreneurs will always tend to monopolize the marketplace of ideas in the name of economic efficiency and private profit† (Meier 2002, p. 298). Thus, mass media cannot belong totally to private owners. The p roblem of ownership still appears as in case the mass media is not controlled by the state and all the power is offered to the private entrepreneurship the monopolization of the industry may lead to unpredicted consequences. The presentation of the information just from one side, the delivery only of the ‘suitable’ for the manufacture data may be destroying for society. Therefore, it may be said that states do not make mass media sources independent to avoid monopolization of the industry and to make sure that the information presented in mass media is given from different perspectives. State cannot stay apart from mass media as this source of information plays an important role in the life of people. Cottle (2003) says that mass media plays important role in formation of the social opinion, cultural identity, traditional peculiarities and other values of the people in community. Absence of the total control of the government of these issues may lead to the problems in the future which may result in social misunderstanding. Social problems guarantee political and economical instability in the country. Mass media is able to do both, maintain order and create chaos in the country. Absence of the state control and providing of the independent guarantees to mass media will never result in anything positive. It has already been pointed at many crucial outcomes which may result from independence of mass media from the state, such as monopolization of the industry. Cottle (2003) points to the loss of cultural identity. Much attention in this source is paid to the news presentation. Each event may be considered from different perspectives, it can be highlighted from various parts. The ability of mass media to show the news from the governmental position, trying to show the unity of the country and the care of the state leaders about the country may increase the unity of the community. Therefore, the governments are unable to allow the mass media to have t he full independence as sometimes the vision of the journalists should be directed in an appropriate way. However, speaking about journalists, they are free and independent searchers of information and news. These people should just present the useful data for the society, otherwise, the information they have considered may be perceived as uninteresting and boring. This is one of the principles of state control over mass media. Croteau and Hoynes (2005) stress the importance of the government to provide specific information to the society. The control over mass media helps such states impose the necessary information in the society. The absence of such control and absolute independence of the mass media from the state would not form such powerful societies as they are now. The image of UK supported with the presence of a queen, the USA leaders are also known to the whole world as the leaders of one of the most powerful countries. Of source, there are people who do not support the ac tions of their leaders and there are the channels and programs which strictly criticize their actions. This should be. People should see the situation from different perspectives, however, the information should still be directed at the affairs of the country. If the international issues are discussed, it is important to view them in the prism of the state affair. This is the place of the state in the mass media influence. Mass media cannot be independent from state as this is the source of the information which creates the image of the country. One should not confuse the dependence of mass media from the state and the freedom off press. In the USA the First Amendment of the Constitution guarantee the freedom of press, however, it does not mean that mass media may advertise all the products which exist. The state should control the advertising campaign to protect people from inappropriate goods. The same is about everything which appears on TV, radio and in newspapers. States protec t people from the goods of poor quality trying to make sure that the information people get is appropriate, even if it does not meet the interests of the state as freedom of speech exists (Croteau Hoynes 2005). Hesmondhalgh (2002) pays much attention to the reasons and the interests of mass media. The attention is paid to the ownership and the interests mass media supports. The author is sure that the interests of the powerful and rich people are met while creating the releases of information. In case mass media would be independent from the state, this would be exactly the issue. However, having the dependency from the state, much of the released data is subjected to censorship, that is why the private owners of newspapers and channels are unable to monopolize the sphere. If state controls mass media and the information released there, why some data does not meet the requirements of the state, why the state allows to show the programs and to deliver the information which may compr omise the government? Answering this question, the aspects of democratization and the freedom of speech should be considered. Hesmondhalgh (2002) is focused on the private interests of those who own mass media companies forgetting about the law and other specific barriers on the way to controlling the data released to the community. The dependency of mass media from the state is different basing on the level of the democracy in the country. Considering such states as France, USA, UK and other developed countries, the level of interdependency of mass media from the state is rather high. However, such countries as China impose greater dependency of mass media from the state as in such countries people are controlled and programmed by means of mass media. TV, radio and pres are used for propaganda purposes making sure that people will be affected by the data. Gehlbach and Sonin (2008) believe that â€Å"when mobilization is especially important, the government will be inclined to seiz e ownership of private media, as it can save the cost of subsidization by controlling the media directly† (p. 2) and it is impossible to disagree with the statement. Each state understands that mass media may be used in personal purposes in critic situations, therefore, making all possible to follow the freedom of press law, each state do keeps in mind that control over mass media is crucial. Therefore, it may be concluded that there are two points of view that mass media is dependant from the state and that it is independent from it. There is no country where mass media is totally independent from the state as this is an information weapon which may be used incorrectly. The government of each state chooses the level of dependency and applies the chosen policy in action. The democracy does not presuppose the absence of the dependency. Democratic world should be controlled, as otherwise chaos would be imposed. The ownership and monopolization are the problems which are to be co ntrolled by the state and some of the reasons of the dependency of mass media from the state. States should understand the difference between controlling and imposing. The independence leads to chaos and the developed countries cannot allow such state of affairs as only structured and highly monitored world actions guarantee harmony of the modern global society. Reference List Bagdikian, B 2004, The New Media Monopoly, Beacon Press, Boston. Cottle, S 2003, Media organization and production, SAGE, London. Croteau, D Hoynes, W 2005, The Business of Media, Sage, London. Doyle, G 2002, Media Ownership: The Economics and Politics of Convergence and Concentration in the UK and European Media, SAGE, London. Gehlbach, S Sonin, K 2008, Government Control of the Media. Web. Hesmondhalgh, D 2002, Media Production. Berkshire: Open University Press. Hesmondhalgh, D 2007, The Cultural Industries, SAGE, London. Meier, WA 2002, ‘Media Ownership – Does It Matter?’, in R Mansell , R Samarajiva A Mahan (eds), Networking Knowledge for Information Societies: Institutions Intervention, DUP Science, Delft.

A Medieval Love Story

A Medieval Love Story He was a brilliant scholar at the University of Paris, charismatic, engaging, and handsome. He drew students like moths to his flame, challenging his masters as well as his peers with scintillating displays of logic. His seemingly unshakable core of self-confidence was justified by his talents for dialectic, teaching, and poetry. His name was Pierre Abelard. She was a rare apparition in the cloister of the Paris cathedral: a young woman, still in her teens, pursuing philosophical studies with no evident desire to take the veil.  Though undoubtedly lovely, she was renowned more for her keen mind and her thirst for knowledge than for her beauty. Her name was Heloise. That two such extraordinary individuals in the same academic world should find one another seems inevitable. That their eloquent expressions of love should have survived for us in their own words is a rare gift of history. That tragedy should await them makes their story all the more poignant.1 The Pursuit of Love While Abelard surely caught sight of Heloise at some time in the busy academic scene of Paris, there were no social occasions on which they were likely to meet. He was occupied with his studies and university life; she was under the protection of her Uncle Fulbert, a canon at the cathedral. Both turned away from frivolous social pastimes in favor of a happy absorption with philosophy, theology, and literature. But Abelard, having reached his thirties without ever knowing the joys of romantic or physical love, had decided he wanted such an experience. He approached this course with his usual logic: It was this young girl whom I, after carefully considering all those qualities which are wont to attract lovers, determined to unite with myself in the bonds of love... 2 Canon Fulbert was known to care deeply for his niece; he recognized her academic ability and wanted the best education that could be provided for her. This was Abelards route into his house and confidence. Claiming the upkeep of a home of his own was too expensive and interfered with his studies, the scholar sought to board with Fulbert in exchange for a small fee and, more significantly, for providing instruction to Heloise. Such was Abelards reputation not only as a brilliant teacher but as a trustworthy individual that Fulbert eagerly welcomed him into his home and entrusted him with the education and care of his niece. I should not have been more smitten with wonder if he had entrusted a tender lamb to the care of a ravenous wolf... Learning of Love We were united first in the dwelling that sheltered our love, and then in the hearts that burned with it. There is no way to know what entreaties or wiles Abelard used to seduce his student. Heloise may very well have loved him from the moment they met. The force of his personality, his razor-sharp mind, and his handsome demeanor undoubtedly resulted in an irresistible combination for a young woman. Not yet twenty, she had no hint of how she and her uncle had been manipulated, and she was at just the right age to see Abelards presence in her life as ordained by Fate or by God. Moreover, rarely have two lovers been so suited to each other as Abelard and Heloise. Both attractive, both extremely intelligent, both enraptured with the arts of learning, they shared an intellectual energy that few couples of any age or era have been fortunate enough to know. Yet in these early days of intense desire, learning was secondary. Under the pretext of study we spent our hours in the happiness of love, and learning held out to us the secret opportunities that our passion craved. Our speech was more of love than of the books which lay open before us; our kisses far outnumbered our reasoned words. However base Abelards original intentions had been, he was soon overwhelmed by his feelings for Heloise. Finding his once-beloved studies burdensome, his energy for learning flagged, he delivered uninspired lectures, and his poems now focused on love. It wasnt long before his students deduced what had come over him, and rumors swept Paris of the heated affair. Only Canon Fulbert seemed unaware of the romance that was taking place under his own roof. His ignorance was fostered by his trust in the niece he loved and the scholar he admired. Whispers may have reached his ears, but if so they did not reach his heart. Oh, how great was the uncles grief when he learned the truth, and how bitter was the sorrow of the lovers when we were forced to part! How it happened is not entirely clear, but its reasonable to assume that Fulbert walked in on his niece and his boarder in an extremely private moment. He had ignored the rumors and believed in their good conduct; perhaps it was a direct confrontation with the truth that so drastically affected him. Now, the extent of his fury at the very least matched the extent of the trust he had placed in them both. But physically separating the couple did not quench the flame of their love for one another; on the contrary: The very sundering of our bodies served but to link our souls closer together; the plentitude of the love which was denied to us inflamed us more than ever. And not long after they were parted, Heloise got a message to Abelard: she was pregnant. At the next opportunity, when Fulbert was away from home, the couple fled to Abelards family, where Heloise was to remain until their son was born. Her lover returned to Paris, but fear or awkwardness kept him from attempting to heal the breach with her uncle for several months. The solution seems simple to us now, and would have been simple to most young couples then: marriage. But, although it was not unknown for scholars at the university to wed, a wife and family could be a serious impediment to an academic career. Universities were relatively new systems that had sprung from Cathedral schools, and the one at Paris was renowned for its theological teachings.  The brightest prospects that awaited Abelard resided in the Church; he would be forfeiting the highest possible career by taking a bride. Though he never admits such thoughts kept him from proposing marriage, that they were included among his considerations seem clear when he describes his offer to Fulbert: ... in order to make amends even beyond his extremest hope, I offered to marry her whom I had seduced, provided only the thing could be kept secret, so that I might suffer no loss of reputation thereby. To this he gladly assented... But Heloise was another matter. Love Protests That a young woman in love should balk at marrying the father of her child may seem perplexing, but Heloise had compelling reasons. She was well aware of the opportunities Abelard would be passing up if he tied himself to a family. She argued for his career; she argued for his studies; she argued that such a measure would not truly appease her uncle. She even argued for honor: ... it would be far sweeter for her to be called my mistress than to be known as my wife; nay, too, that this would be more honourable for me as well. In such case, she said, love alone would hold me to her, and the strength of the marriage chain would not constrain us. But her lover would not be dissuaded. Shortly after their son Astrolabe was born, they left him in the care of Abelards family and returned to Paris to be married secretly, with Fulbert among the few witnesses. They parted immediately thereafter, seeing each other only in rare private moments, in order to maintain the fiction that they were no longer involved. Love Denied Heloise had been correct when she had argued that her uncle would not be satisfied by a secret marriage. Though he had promised his discretion, his damaged pride would not let him keep quiet about events. The injury had been a public one; its reparation should also be public. He let word of the couples union get about. When his niece denied the marriage, he beat her. To keep Heloise safe, her husband spirited her away to the convent at Argenteuil, where she had been educated as a child. This alone may have been enough to keep her from her uncles wrath, but Abelard went one step further: he asked that she wear the vestments of the nuns, except for the veil that indicated the taking of vows. This turned out to be a grave error. When her uncle and his kinsmen heard of this, they were convinced that now I had completely played them false and had rid myself forever of Heloise by forcing her to become a nun. Fulbert became incensed, and prepared to take his revenge. It happened in the early morning hours when the scholar lay sleeping, unawares. Two of his servants accepted bribes to let attackers into his home. The punishment they visited upon their enemy was as horrifying and shameful as it was excruciating: ... for they cut off those parts of my body with which I had done that which was the cause of their sorrow. By morning, it seemed all of Paris had congregated to hear the news. Two of Abelards attackers were apprehended and made to suffer a similar fate, but no reparation could restore to the scholar what he had lost. The brilliant philosopher, poet, and teacher who had begun to be renowned for his talents now had fame of an altogether different sort thrust upon him. How could I ever again hold up my head among men, when every finger should be pointed at me in scorn, every tongue speak my blistering shame, and when I should be a monstrous spectacle to all eyes? Though he had never considered becoming a monk, Abelard turned to the cloister now. A life of seclusion, devoted to God, was the only alternative his pride would allow him. He turned to the Dominican order and entered the abbey of St. Denis. But before he did so, he convinced his wife to take the veil. Her friends entreated her to consider ending her marriage and returning to the outside world: after all, he could no longer be her husband in the physical sense, and an annulment would have been relatively easy to obtain. She was still quite young, still beautiful, and as brilliant as ever; the secular world offered a future the convent could never match. But Heloise did as Abelard bid her not for any love of convent life, or even for love of God, but for love of Abelard. Love Endures It would be difficult to imagine that their love for one another could survive separation and Abelards tragic injury. In fact, having seen to his wifes entry into the convent, the philosopher appears to have placed the entire affair behind him and devoted himself to writing and teaching. For Abelard, and indeed for all who studied philosophy in his time, the love story was but a sideline to his career, the impetus that triggered a change in his focus from logic to theology. But for Heloise, the affair was a seminal event in her life, and Pierre Abelard was forever in her thoughts. The philosopher did continue to care for his wife and see to her security. When Argenteuil was overtaken by one of his many rivals and Heloise, now the prioress, was turned out with the other nuns, Abelard arranged for the displaced women to occupy the abbey of the Paraclete, which he had established. And after some time had passed, and wounds both physical and emotional had begun to heal, they resumed a relationship, albeit far different than the one they had known in the secular world. For her part, Heloise would not let herself or her feelings for Abelard be overlooked. She was ever open and honest about her enduring love for the man who could no longer be her husband. She pestered him for hymns, sermons, guidance, and a rule for her order, and in so doing kept him active in the work of the abbey and kept her own presence constant in his mind. As for Abelard, he had the support and encouragement of one of the most brilliant women of his times to help him navigate the treacherous course of 12th-century theological politics. His talents for logic, his continued interest in secular philosophy, and his absolute confidence in his own interpretation of Scripture had not won him friends in the Church, and his entire career was marked by controversy with other theologians. It was Heloise, one might argue, who helped him come to terms with his own spiritual outlook; and it was Heloise to whom he addressed his significant profession of faith, which begins: Heloise, my sister, once so dear to me in the world, today even dearer to me in Jesus Christ...3 Though their bodies could no longer be united, their souls continued to share an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual journey. Upon his death Heloise had Abelards body brought to the Paraclete, where she was later buried beside him. They lie together still, in what could only be the end of a medieval love story. Your letter written to a friend for his comfort, beloved, was lately brought to me by chance. Seeing at once from the title that it was yours, I began the more ardently to read it in that the writer was so dear to me, that I might at least be refreshed by his words as by a picture of him whose presence I have lost...4 The story of Abelard and Heloise might have been lost to future generations were it not for the letters that survived them. The course of events that their romance followed was described unstintingly in a letter Abelard wrote, known to us as the  Historia Calamitatum,  or the Story of My Misfortunes. His intent in writing the letter was ostensibly to console his friend by telling him, essentially, You think youve got problems? Listen to this... The  Historia Calamitatum  was widely circulated and copied, as letters sometimes were in those days. There is a school of thought that Abelard had an ulterior motive in its composition: to call attention to himself and keep his work and his genius from slipping into oblivion. If that was indeed the case, the philosopher, though still confident in his abilities to the point of arrogance, showed a remarkably brutal honesty and a willingness to accept responsibility for the disastrous results brought on by his vanity and pride. Whatever his motives for writing the letter, a copy eventually fell into Heloises hands. It was at this point that she took the opportunity to contact Abelard directly, and an extensive correspondence ensued from which the nature of their later relationship can be gleaned. The authenticity of the letters supposedly written by Heloise has been called into question. For more on this matter, see the  Mediev-l  Discussion of Heloises  Letters to Abelard, collected from the Mediev-l mailing list and presented online by Paul Halsall at the Medieval Sourcebook. For books examining their authenticity, see  Sources and Suggested Reading,  below. Notes Guides Note: This feature was originally posted in February of 2000, and was updated in February of 2007.Notes 1 As with most names from the Middle Ages, you will find both Abelard and Heloise rendered in a variety of ways, including, but by no means limited to: Abà ©lard, Abeillard, Abailard, Abaelardus, Abelardus; Hà ©loise, Hà ©lose, Heloisa, Helouisa. The forms used in this feature were chosen for their recognizability and their ease of presentation within the limits of HTML. 2 The excerpted material on these pages is all from Abelards Historia Calamitatum unless otherwise noted. 3  From Abelards  Apologia. 4  From Heloises first letter. Additional Resources Abelards autobiography is online here at the Medieval History site: Historia Calamitatum,  or, The Story of My Misfortunesby Peter AbelardTranslated by Henry Adams Bellows, with an introduction by Ralph Adams Cram. Presented in fifteen chapters, an introduction, a foreword and an appendix. Sources and Suggested Reading The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the books page at one of the online merchants. translated by Betty RadiceA Penguin classics collection of their correspondence. by Etienne GilsonLiterate analysis of the letters of Abelard and Heloise focuses on individual topics and themes rather than a chronological presentation. by John MarenbonA re-examination of Abelards work as a logician and theologian. by Marion MeadeThis fictionalized account is well-written and fairly accurate, and has been made into a well-received film.   A Medieval Love Story  is copyright  © 2000-08 Melissa Snell and About.com. Permission is granted to reproduce this article for personal or classroom use only, provided that the URL below is included. For reprint permission, please contact Melissa Snell. The URL for this feature is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/peterabelard/a/love_story.htmGuides Note:  This feature was originally posted in February of 2000, and was updated in February of 2007.