c) Read the source given below and answer the question that follows. The drive to have a 'pure' race was restricted not only to the general population but also to journalists and reporters. The journalists failing to follow the enforced guidelines would be sent with the Jews for ‘special treatment. Do you think the role that the media played in Nazi Germany is like the role of the media in democracies? Support your answer with an example.
Answers
This report was commissioned by the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC) as an input to the Digital Platforms Inquiry.
The Centre was asked by the ACCC to research and report on aspects relating to news
and journalistic content, one of several matters under the Terms of Reference for the
inquiry issued by the Treasurer in December 2017.
Specifically the Centre was asked to describe and analyse the impacts of digital
platforms on choice and quality for Australian news consumers. The brief for the project
recognised that plurality, diversity, choice and quality in the contemporary media
environment are highly complex and contested issues, and the inquiry would benefit
from an analytical framework through which these issues could be considered.
The research addresses four broad themes of relevance to the inquiry, all of which
relate specifically to news and journalistic content:
The characteristics of this content and its public function in democratic society
Choice, including production and distribution as well as diversity
Consumption, including access and specific practices such as customisation
Quality, including any changes in quality in the contemporary environment.
We were asked to review relevant academic literature and other available resources,
and specifically to consider any approaches to measurement of aspects such as
diversity and quality that might assist in assessing the current environment. We were
not asked for recommendations on regulatory intervention.
The project is comprised entirely of desk-top research, accessing local and
international materials. These include academic texts and journal articles, policy
reports, industry data and other available material. The project methodology excluded
interviews and any other empirical research, as the Commission had itself embarked
on an extensive consultation program.
The arrangement of the material in the report reflects our progression from the general
characteristics of news and journalistic content, through the international thinking on
the impact of technology, approaches to quality, and finally plurality.
This work is our own and should not be taken as representing the views of the ACCC.
Answer:
Report
Committee on Culture, Science and Education
Rapporteur: Mr Josef Jařab, Czech Republic, Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group
Summary
Modern terrorism is media terrorism. The media are attracted by extreme terrorist acts not only because it is their duty to report on any major event but also because the dramatic and spectacular aspect of terrorism fascinates the general public. Today’s terrorists exploit this and act in a way which will attract maximum attention around the world.
Terrorism should not affect the importance of freedom of expression and information in the media as one of the essential foundations of democratic society. This freedom carries with it the right of the public to be informed on matters of public concern, including terrorist acts and threats, as well as the response by the state and international organisations to them