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Watchdogs

With the news media increasingly compromised in their complex relations to the corporations who own them, it becomes important that the civic role of watchdog be shared by citizens as well as journalists. After all, the First Amendment protects not only the news media's free-speech rights but all our rights to speak out. Mounting concerns over who can afford access to the media go to the heart of free expression.

We are the watchdog

As we struggle to determine the future of converging print, electronic , and digital media and to broaden the democratic spirit underlying media technology, we need to stay engaged in spirited public debates about media ownership and control, about commercial speech and free expression. As citizens we need to pay attention to who is included and excluded from the opportunities not only to buy products but to speak out and reshape the cultural landscape. To accomplish this we need to challenge our journalists and our leaders. Even more important, we need to challenge ourselves to become watchdogs - critical consumers and engaged citizens - who learn from the past, care about the present, and map mass media's future.

Media ethics on the Web

Major issues such as freedom of speech, right of privacy, the public's right to know, ratings and censorship are often topics of discussion at various sites on the Web. Moreover, they are not limited to citizens of the United States, but to citizens of the world. One can truly receive a global perspective on issues of importance to the world community.

Organizations and Agencies

There are literally hundreds of agencies, organizations and special interest groups who have taken up various causes concerning media issues. Some are aimed very specifically at the media, journalists, or entertainment industry, while others are more general in their approach. All, however, have an agenda. The following is a listing of Web sites that, while focused in their cause, are more or less in the mainstream of political and social thought.

Professional Organizations

Most professional organizations serve as their profession's own watchdog. Each of the organizations or groups below has an area within their web site that discusses issues in general and/or ethics in particular.

Print and Broadcast Journalism
Film
Television and Radio
Business

The Media

The media itself, while sometimes guilty of violating codes of ethics, are often their own best critics. Many of the outlets listed below regularly feature articles or pieces on ethics and/or values in the various areas of the media mass communication.

Newspapers
Magazines, Journals & Online Services

Events and Chat areas

Several browsers and online services offer special events or opportunities to enter into a "live" conversation with people from around the world. Most services and browsers also offer Bulletin Boards where you can post comments or pose questions on a specific topic or a special interest area, and chat areas where you can enter into live conversations with other people from around the world. Some of these include:

  • Online Services: America Online, Compuserve, Prodigy, and the Microsoft Network often offer newsmakers from a variety of areas (print and broadcast journalism, directors, producers and entertainers) for an evening Live chat.

  • Browsers and search engines: Netscape, Yahoo, Excite, Infoseek, Lycos offer a number of events and chat areas to enter into discussion with others who might share your concerns or are interested in the influence and effects of media or in the creation of political or media agenda

  • Other chat areas that often deal with issues related to democracy, censorship, freedom, etc. include:

  • There are two excellent Web resources for locating newsgroups and mailing lists. But don't forget your netiquette if you decide to join in!
    • DejaNews is a search engine for newsgroups. As with a Web search engine, entering keywords will return links to newsgroup articles that contain your keyword.
    • Liszt, the mailing list directory, is a guide to a wide variety of mailing lists (complete with instructions on how to join them).

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Try it out!

Since this list is nowhere near exhaustive, do some searching and create your own bookmarks of sites including:

  • Organizations whose purpose is to "watch" the media.

  • Organizations interested in issues related to censorship.

  • Interest Groups (any group with a position or cause) from around the world.

  • Companies with world interests or ownership.

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