On the 26th of August, I was watching the Metro mid-day news with very little attention when a scene in the news caught my eyes. It was the heartbreaking sight of people sleeping on the street at night. I saw bed nets hanging from tree branches and erected sticks with mothers and their babies sleeping peacefully on mats in these bed nets. These unfortunate people sleeping in front of kiosk and shops without decent shelter over their heads are left at the mercy of cold winds and mosquitoes and on bad days the rain. I could just imagine how the young girls defended themselves when attacked by “notorious guys”. Am sure that is the reason for their incessant pregnancies and birth and numerous stories of abandoned babies in gutters and refuse dumps.
Watching the news felt like deja vous. Yes! I remember now. It was that early evening around 5 o’clock when I decided to stay behind at my aunt’s shop at Kaneshie while mum did the shopping. That night was the fist time I saw people dressing up after a shower and preparing for bed right in front of a kiosk. I was so dump-founded. I was so amazed. At that moment I ask myself where are they from? Don’t they have homes and comfortable beds lying empty somewhere in the villages? The news gave me mixed feelings because somehow I blamed them for causing their own predicaments. But at the same time I also felt pity because I was sure they were there in search of greener pastures and a better future for themselves and their unborn children.
I sometimes weep when I see these street children; our future leaders selling and making ends meat on the street when they are supposed to be at school. It is so sad.
Then I ask myself; what are our leaders, (I mean the government), what are they doing to solve this problem? What are we all doing to change this situation? Because I know you and I can, in our own small way do something about this situation. I believe this problem is mainly because the villages and areas these people come from are deprived and underdeveloped and lack the necessary facilities that the cities have. Also the education is poor plus there are few job opportunities in those areas. I believe that if the government spends some money on developing these deprived areas a good number of the people would be discouraged from migrating to the big cities to seek greener pasture. I might sound childish by saying this but I believe there are some well to do citizens who can spare a little “cash”. We got to help each other to make life better. What are tour riches if I am poor? A “Twi” proverb says prapra m’tsi na minso minprapra w’atsi nti na nnomaa baano nantiw no. Meaning, it is because of scratch my back, I scratch your back, (reciprocity), that two birds fly together. We are one people and we can help each other. We must not leave them to their fate to perish in their poverty and ignorance. I also believe that educating them and enlightening them can also change the situation. Because if these people change their mind set and stay in their respective areas I am sure they could help build and develop the areas.
Before I end I would like to pick a few lines from WUTAH’S latest song, BURNING DESIRE;
SO MANY NIGHTS HAVE I CRIED TILL MY TEARS RAINED NO MORE JUST TO SEE MY BURNING DESIRE SO MANY NIGHTS HAVE I SUNG TILL MY HEART SUNG NO MORE JUST TO SEE MY BURNING DESIRE.
Yes! My burning desire is to see a nation where everybody can afford a living. Where we all can live in comfortable homes, eat a three square meal and have good education. Is that too much to ask? No! I believe not. We can do it and God help us.
NAA KARLEY CLEGG
GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM. LEVEL 200
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
INSPIRATIONAL WORDS.
‘In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.’ – THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
‘I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.’ - STEPHAN GRELLET.
‘Every sunrise is like a new page, a chance to receive each day in its glory.’ - OPRAH WINFREY.
‘It is never too late- in fiction or in life- to revise.’ - NANCY THAYER.
‘In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.’ – THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
‘I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.’ - STEPHAN GRELLET.
‘Every sunrise is like a new page, a chance to receive each day in its glory.’ - OPRAH WINFREY.
‘It is never too late- in fiction or in life- to revise.’ - NANCY THAYER.
Monday, July 27, 2009
ACKNOWLEDGING GOD AND NOT BEING BOASTFUL.
Read: James 4:13-17.
Today, I will like to share with you a lesson I learnt the hard way. I will first like to explain to you who an over-confident person is. An over-confident person is one who has too much trust in his abilities. It is very dangerous to be over confident as a Christian, because we are able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We cannot do any thing without God so we cannot be over confident in our righteousness and spirituality.
... Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12.
There are times when we Christians feel too strong to backslide. Because we have been Christians for long or hold positions in church we tend to make statements like; “I will never fornicate, I simply cannot do so.” – this is being over-confident. As Christians we should say; “If GOD wills, I will do such and such a thing on such a day.” OR “I can do such a thing through Christ who strengthens me.” As the verse (James 4:13-14) says we have to acknowledge God in all we do and remember that our lives are not ours but the Lord’s. He has the power to give and take life. Our lives are like “vapour” that appear for a little while and then disappear. So who then are we to speak like we have authority over life and its happenings? When a Christian boasts about his strength, Satan hears and decides to test him on it. Note that where you are over confident is where you can be the weakest. This is because you have dropped your guard with the knowledge that you are in that field. We sometimes overestimate our own ability, and look down on others. This is bad and we need to be humble lest we find ourselves in the shoes of the others. Staying on the right track is solely by the grace of God, not by our strength. Let us pray to God to keep us from temptation.
He (God) said he has given us the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and we shall by no means be hurt. - Luke 10:19. That is what God can do if we allow him to shepherd our lives and order our steps. Let us learn from David in the bible. He was never boastful. - 2 Samuel1. We have to be sober and always ask for the grace of God for bible says there will come a time when men shall be lovers of their own selves and boast. 2 Timothy 3:1, 2.
Finally I pray that God gives us the strength to do all that he wants and also that we may watch and pray for one another. Ephesians 6:18. AMEN.
Note: I leave you today with Ephesians 6:10-18.
NAA KARLEY CLEGG
GIJ
Today, I will like to share with you a lesson I learnt the hard way. I will first like to explain to you who an over-confident person is. An over-confident person is one who has too much trust in his abilities. It is very dangerous to be over confident as a Christian, because we are able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We cannot do any thing without God so we cannot be over confident in our righteousness and spirituality.
... Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12.
There are times when we Christians feel too strong to backslide. Because we have been Christians for long or hold positions in church we tend to make statements like; “I will never fornicate, I simply cannot do so.” – this is being over-confident. As Christians we should say; “If GOD wills, I will do such and such a thing on such a day.” OR “I can do such a thing through Christ who strengthens me.” As the verse (James 4:13-14) says we have to acknowledge God in all we do and remember that our lives are not ours but the Lord’s. He has the power to give and take life. Our lives are like “vapour” that appear for a little while and then disappear. So who then are we to speak like we have authority over life and its happenings? When a Christian boasts about his strength, Satan hears and decides to test him on it. Note that where you are over confident is where you can be the weakest. This is because you have dropped your guard with the knowledge that you are in that field. We sometimes overestimate our own ability, and look down on others. This is bad and we need to be humble lest we find ourselves in the shoes of the others. Staying on the right track is solely by the grace of God, not by our strength. Let us pray to God to keep us from temptation.
He (God) said he has given us the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and we shall by no means be hurt. - Luke 10:19. That is what God can do if we allow him to shepherd our lives and order our steps. Let us learn from David in the bible. He was never boastful. - 2 Samuel1. We have to be sober and always ask for the grace of God for bible says there will come a time when men shall be lovers of their own selves and boast. 2 Timothy 3:1, 2.
Finally I pray that God gives us the strength to do all that he wants and also that we may watch and pray for one another. Ephesians 6:18. AMEN.
Note: I leave you today with Ephesians 6:10-18.
NAA KARLEY CLEGG
GIJ
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
LOVE
'Love cures people- both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it' -Carl Menninger.
'Life is a flower of which love is honey.' - Victor Hugo.
Life without love is like a garden without flowers
'Life is a flower of which love is honey.' - Victor Hugo.
Life without love is like a garden without flowers
Monday, July 20, 2009
CHALLENGES OF LIFE
Life is actually beautiful and wonderful. It can be a dream come true, a heaven on earth or the paradise you always wanted to see one day. But life is a paradox that is hard to comprehend. Maybe, it is because we are actually mortals and cannot understand the things that are beyond us. In another perspective, life is so distasteful and full of unpleasant occurrences; with each day bringing sad events and your worst nightmare into reality. That, my dear friends, is a little of the story of life. Life as some would say is how you make it. This assertion is true but life is so unpredictable. It is just like the beautiful flower you see by the road side. Today it is so beautiful and blossoming with such radiance but tomorrow you would find it dried up by the sun or destroyed by the feet of passers-by or vehicle. The talk of flower reminds me of a Ga (a Ghanaian ethnic group) song my mother taught me one night. It goes like this:
“Gbe masei fofoi mina
Hunu sha le aaahu
Latsa tsa le enana
Ni enin ye mobo pam
Moko moko yooo le
Oh fofoi, fofoi mina
Enin ye mobo tooto.”
The song tells us about a beautiful flower sighted by the singer but unfortunately, got burnt by the sun's scotching rays. And so the singer tells us how pitiful the flower had become.
The flower is the beautiful life we have while the sun represents the challenges in life and how they can change our life and makes our life all so ugly and miserable. Though life can be that way, have you ever thought that the vehicle of our life is steered by us and we are the only ones who can make things affect us? And that we could determine the impact of life's happening to either have a positive or negative effect on our life. “life’s challenges are the soil in which faith grows” – Anonymous.
When things get tough we have to remember GOD and have faith in him........faith doesn’t get us out of trouble but it sure does get us through it. Faith can move mountains.
Well, let me present to you the occurrence/reaction principle of life. In life, certain events and occurrences happen in our life that we cannot control. Take for instance the death of a close relation, a breakup, dismissal from work, a heavy down pour, falling sick and a traffic jam etc. These are things that you just can’t control. But my question to you is what do you do when these this things happen. Do we let them destroy the rest of our life or improve them? Consider a situation where a lady decides to kill her ex-boyfriend for breaking up with her after she had spent 6 years of her life with him and also committing a number of abortions for him. She is then arrested for murder and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment or worst for life. I'm sure most ladies would do the same, even kill themselves or get mad when faced with this situation. A situation like this is very difficult to cope with but wouldn’t it be better to use such a disappointment as a stepping stone to move on? Or even use it as a lesson for yourself, a sibling or even a friend. Take it that the man was not worth it and that life would be better without him. Think of the possibility that someone better, who would love and cherish you is on the way.
Don’t look at your past or night but learn to look at your morning. In such situations as loses it is good to cry. Crying helps one to feel better; cry as much as you can even if till the tears get finish. You would feel better after that but one thing is for certain you don’t have to cry alone you’ve got to have a shoulder to cry on. Talk to someone you trust, a best friend, a pastor or a counselor. Note that it is good to share your problems, that way they don’t weigh you down. When you are disappointed, remember it is not the end of the world, so long as there is life there is a way.
It is an indisputable fact that life is full of changes. So how do they influence our lives? Do we allow it break us down and destroy our happiness, harden us, soften us or what? You are the only one who can change your life. Even if your friends change, your family or situation change, your life and you can not change. You have the power to make the greatest change in your life; to make your day the best and to make it sad. And one most important way to face the changes is to be ready for any change in life.
“Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.”- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. We all grow older but that doesn’t take any talent or ability from us. The idea is to grow up, by always finding opportunity in change. Remember that the greatest change brings about the greatest opportunity.
There are three kinds of people in life; the carrot, the egg and the coffee bean. When these three foods are boiled for the same number of minutes and taken out, they all have different reactions. The carrot when boiled becomes soft and tender. These carrot people are those who are weakened by the changes and challenges in life. They are those who used to be tough but have softened and broken down because they couldn’t cope well with the situation. The egg does not look different after boiling but I tell you when the shell is taken u find it hard. This category of people is those who become hardened by the situation. They seem to be the same but within their hearts have become hard and unchanging. The final which inspires me is the coffee bean. The coffee bean, when boiled rather changes the water to its colour and gives it a sweet aroma. These people take advantage of the situation and take opportunity to make everything around them better. They don’t allow the situation to discourage them or make their hearts hard but rather make them better and lovely people. So ask yourself this question; “Am I a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?” Choose one and find out what you really are. There are times when you need to learn a lesson and become soft like the carrot and there are times you really need to be tough after facing a challenge. No matter the situation you have to make the best out of it.
Isaiah 61:3 says “Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” So when you feel down and all is lost, and every thing is so bad just change your clothes to that of a victor. Remember you are not alone. With God on your side you would make it. Always have a can do spirit.
I will finally leave you with one friend who has been my all and companion. He is Jesus Christ the son of the living God. With him you can make it in life. Identify God’s standard and press on to attain it. Psalm 1:3. He shall be like a tree planted by the water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. Get a personal relationship with GOD and take his word as the food to your soul. Let the word of God guide you and teach you and never let it depart from you. Joshua 1:8. When all hope is lost remember with GOD all things are possible. There is still a possibility of a future. Job 14:7-9.
I trust that these few words will have an impact on the lives of all its reader. Amen
NB. Please leave a comment if you feel blessed by this piece.
Abigail Naa Karley Clegg
“Gbe masei fofoi mina
Hunu sha le aaahu
Latsa tsa le enana
Ni enin ye mobo pam
Moko moko yooo le
Oh fofoi, fofoi mina
Enin ye mobo tooto.”
The song tells us about a beautiful flower sighted by the singer but unfortunately, got burnt by the sun's scotching rays. And so the singer tells us how pitiful the flower had become.
The flower is the beautiful life we have while the sun represents the challenges in life and how they can change our life and makes our life all so ugly and miserable. Though life can be that way, have you ever thought that the vehicle of our life is steered by us and we are the only ones who can make things affect us? And that we could determine the impact of life's happening to either have a positive or negative effect on our life. “life’s challenges are the soil in which faith grows” – Anonymous.
When things get tough we have to remember GOD and have faith in him........faith doesn’t get us out of trouble but it sure does get us through it. Faith can move mountains.
Well, let me present to you the occurrence/reaction principle of life. In life, certain events and occurrences happen in our life that we cannot control. Take for instance the death of a close relation, a breakup, dismissal from work, a heavy down pour, falling sick and a traffic jam etc. These are things that you just can’t control. But my question to you is what do you do when these this things happen. Do we let them destroy the rest of our life or improve them? Consider a situation where a lady decides to kill her ex-boyfriend for breaking up with her after she had spent 6 years of her life with him and also committing a number of abortions for him. She is then arrested for murder and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment or worst for life. I'm sure most ladies would do the same, even kill themselves or get mad when faced with this situation. A situation like this is very difficult to cope with but wouldn’t it be better to use such a disappointment as a stepping stone to move on? Or even use it as a lesson for yourself, a sibling or even a friend. Take it that the man was not worth it and that life would be better without him. Think of the possibility that someone better, who would love and cherish you is on the way.
Don’t look at your past or night but learn to look at your morning. In such situations as loses it is good to cry. Crying helps one to feel better; cry as much as you can even if till the tears get finish. You would feel better after that but one thing is for certain you don’t have to cry alone you’ve got to have a shoulder to cry on. Talk to someone you trust, a best friend, a pastor or a counselor. Note that it is good to share your problems, that way they don’t weigh you down. When you are disappointed, remember it is not the end of the world, so long as there is life there is a way.
It is an indisputable fact that life is full of changes. So how do they influence our lives? Do we allow it break us down and destroy our happiness, harden us, soften us or what? You are the only one who can change your life. Even if your friends change, your family or situation change, your life and you can not change. You have the power to make the greatest change in your life; to make your day the best and to make it sad. And one most important way to face the changes is to be ready for any change in life.
“Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.”- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. We all grow older but that doesn’t take any talent or ability from us. The idea is to grow up, by always finding opportunity in change. Remember that the greatest change brings about the greatest opportunity.
There are three kinds of people in life; the carrot, the egg and the coffee bean. When these three foods are boiled for the same number of minutes and taken out, they all have different reactions. The carrot when boiled becomes soft and tender. These carrot people are those who are weakened by the changes and challenges in life. They are those who used to be tough but have softened and broken down because they couldn’t cope well with the situation. The egg does not look different after boiling but I tell you when the shell is taken u find it hard. This category of people is those who become hardened by the situation. They seem to be the same but within their hearts have become hard and unchanging. The final which inspires me is the coffee bean. The coffee bean, when boiled rather changes the water to its colour and gives it a sweet aroma. These people take advantage of the situation and take opportunity to make everything around them better. They don’t allow the situation to discourage them or make their hearts hard but rather make them better and lovely people. So ask yourself this question; “Am I a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?” Choose one and find out what you really are. There are times when you need to learn a lesson and become soft like the carrot and there are times you really need to be tough after facing a challenge. No matter the situation you have to make the best out of it.
Isaiah 61:3 says “Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” So when you feel down and all is lost, and every thing is so bad just change your clothes to that of a victor. Remember you are not alone. With God on your side you would make it. Always have a can do spirit.
I will finally leave you with one friend who has been my all and companion. He is Jesus Christ the son of the living God. With him you can make it in life. Identify God’s standard and press on to attain it. Psalm 1:3. He shall be like a tree planted by the water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. Get a personal relationship with GOD and take his word as the food to your soul. Let the word of God guide you and teach you and never let it depart from you. Joshua 1:8. When all hope is lost remember with GOD all things are possible. There is still a possibility of a future. Job 14:7-9.
I trust that these few words will have an impact on the lives of all its reader. Amen
NB. Please leave a comment if you feel blessed by this piece.
Abigail Naa Karley Clegg
Friday, May 15, 2009
A REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE NOMATIVE THEORY OF THE PRESS.
Normative theories stress on how journalism or media must relate to society in relation to both political and economic system and performance. These theories illustrate the press position and performance in relation to its political environment. These four theories proposed by Frederick S. Siebert, Peterson and Schramm in 1956 was an attempt to clarify the link between mass media and political society. Siebert’s four theories were Authoritarian, the Libertarian, Soviet communist and the Social responsibility and they are widely accepted by many mass media researchers as the most proper categories to describe how different media system operate in the world.
The authoritarian theory affirms how the media behaves in an authoritarian society. This theory was developed due to the system in the 16th and 17th century England. The media in this kind of political system are not allowed to publish and broadcast anything that could undermine the established authority. The main purpose of the press is to support and advance the policies of the government. The media is controlled by government patent and is an instrument for effecting governmental policies. In view, punishment is meted out to those who criticise state’s ideology. A state that comes close to this media system is Albania.
The libertarian theory also known as the free press theory is an opposition to the authoritarian theory. The rise of the libertarian idea was in the 17th century. The libertarian system asserts that the individual should be free to publish and broadcast what he or she wants. The media is an instrument for checking on government and meeting other needs of society. There are no restrictions to import and export of information across national frontiers. This system values individuals and media freedom and above all does not allow government control of media. The media is also a watchdog of society, protecting individuals’ rights and oversees the smooth function of the state apparatus. The weakness of this system is that it is excessively optimistic about individual’s ethics and rationality and the media’s willingness to meet responsibility. Another limitation is that because the system ignores the need for reasonable control of the media, there is the dilemma posed by conflicting freedom. There many who oppose this system because absolute freedom can lead to anarchy.
The social responsibility theory though almost similar to the libertarian theory, adds the notion of social responsibility. It was developed in the U.S in the 20th century when the media operates in capitalist society/economy. The media in this system has an obligation to fulfil in their social function which is to transmit information and create a forum for different viewpoints. The media is guarded by codes of ethics and are suppose to meet a certain standard. This is because they are accountable to both society and government. The media values diversity and pluralism and supports balance of public and private ownership. Despite all these, this system falls short in some aspects because journalism in capitalist society functions in the interest of a dominant class/ group not the whole society. It also underestimates the power of profit motivation and competition and is over optimistic about the willingness to meet responsibility.
The soviet communist press theory came into existence in the 19th century after the revolution that swept Russia. This kind of society is classless and the media is structured to reflect the aims of classless society which is the Marxist principle. This media was an instrument used to continue the success and maintain the soviet socialist system and therefore seen as crucial to the survival of the Soviet Union ideology. The theory principles were derived from Marxist thought with a mixture of Engel and 19 century thinking. The media in this system were not intended to be privately owned but to serve the interest of the working class and controlled by a communist government. The mass media in the soviet community are expected to be self regulatory in regards to their message content. Currently, this theory is only of historical interest because after the fall of Soviet Union, Russia has adopted a mass media model which is close to the social responsibility principle.
Scholars have pointed out that these theories were not based on hypothesis testing but on observation. This is because they do not intend to stipulate how social systems do operate but, but rather wit specifications on how they could or should work in pre-existing set of criteria. These theories have their roots from specific periods in time and are closely tied to the conditions of the political system in those times. They also ignored the communication perspective. Though most people would argue that these theories cannot be used in current societies, there are traces of the principles of these societies in the contemporary societies. Though the four theories seek to explain how the media behaves in a particular political system they fail be flexible enough to fit all parts of the world. Therefore two other theories have been introduced to depict the two normative theories that were not present in the first four. These two theories are the Democratic – Participant Media theory and the Development media theory. These new theories have been criticised though.
In all Siebert’s theories give a breakdown strictly given categories which open up for new ideas. Also it reveals who owns the media and who determines what message is sent. For me it remains normative because it gives an approach to understand how mass media and society interrelate.
REFERENCE:
www.anglefire.com/un/jr/lecture4ppt
Normative theories stress on how journalism or media must relate to society in relation to both political and economic system and performance. These theories illustrate the press position and performance in relation to its political environment. These four theories proposed by Frederick S. Siebert, Peterson and Schramm in 1956 was an attempt to clarify the link between mass media and political society. Siebert’s four theories were Authoritarian, the Libertarian, Soviet communist and the Social responsibility and they are widely accepted by many mass media researchers as the most proper categories to describe how different media system operate in the world.
The authoritarian theory affirms how the media behaves in an authoritarian society. This theory was developed due to the system in the 16th and 17th century England. The media in this kind of political system are not allowed to publish and broadcast anything that could undermine the established authority. The main purpose of the press is to support and advance the policies of the government. The media is controlled by government patent and is an instrument for effecting governmental policies. In view, punishment is meted out to those who criticise state’s ideology. A state that comes close to this media system is Albania.
The libertarian theory also known as the free press theory is an opposition to the authoritarian theory. The rise of the libertarian idea was in the 17th century. The libertarian system asserts that the individual should be free to publish and broadcast what he or she wants. The media is an instrument for checking on government and meeting other needs of society. There are no restrictions to import and export of information across national frontiers. This system values individuals and media freedom and above all does not allow government control of media. The media is also a watchdog of society, protecting individuals’ rights and oversees the smooth function of the state apparatus. The weakness of this system is that it is excessively optimistic about individual’s ethics and rationality and the media’s willingness to meet responsibility. Another limitation is that because the system ignores the need for reasonable control of the media, there is the dilemma posed by conflicting freedom. There many who oppose this system because absolute freedom can lead to anarchy.
The social responsibility theory though almost similar to the libertarian theory, adds the notion of social responsibility. It was developed in the U.S in the 20th century when the media operates in capitalist society/economy. The media in this system has an obligation to fulfil in their social function which is to transmit information and create a forum for different viewpoints. The media is guarded by codes of ethics and are suppose to meet a certain standard. This is because they are accountable to both society and government. The media values diversity and pluralism and supports balance of public and private ownership. Despite all these, this system falls short in some aspects because journalism in capitalist society functions in the interest of a dominant class/ group not the whole society. It also underestimates the power of profit motivation and competition and is over optimistic about the willingness to meet responsibility.
The soviet communist press theory came into existence in the 19th century after the revolution that swept Russia. This kind of society is classless and the media is structured to reflect the aims of classless society which is the Marxist principle. This media was an instrument used to continue the success and maintain the soviet socialist system and therefore seen as crucial to the survival of the Soviet Union ideology. The theory principles were derived from Marxist thought with a mixture of Engel and 19 century thinking. The media in this system were not intended to be privately owned but to serve the interest of the working class and controlled by a communist government. The mass media in the soviet community are expected to be self regulatory in regards to their message content. Currently, this theory is only of historical interest because after the fall of Soviet Union, Russia has adopted a mass media model which is close to the social responsibility principle.
Scholars have pointed out that these theories were not based on hypothesis testing but on observation. This is because they do not intend to stipulate how social systems do operate but, but rather wit specifications on how they could or should work in pre-existing set of criteria. These theories have their roots from specific periods in time and are closely tied to the conditions of the political system in those times. They also ignored the communication perspective. Though most people would argue that these theories cannot be used in current societies, there are traces of the principles of these societies in the contemporary societies. Though the four theories seek to explain how the media behaves in a particular political system they fail be flexible enough to fit all parts of the world. Therefore two other theories have been introduced to depict the two normative theories that were not present in the first four. These two theories are the Democratic – Participant Media theory and the Development media theory. These new theories have been criticised though.
In all Siebert’s theories give a breakdown strictly given categories which open up for new ideas. Also it reveals who owns the media and who determines what message is sent. For me it remains normative because it gives an approach to understand how mass media and society interrelate.
REFERENCE:
www.anglefire.com/un/jr/lecture4ppt
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