Business Ethics – A Successful way of conducting business
Definition of Business Ethics Business Ethics refers to carrying business as per self-acknowledged moral standards. It is actually a structure of moral principles and code of conduct applicable to a business. Business ethics are applicable not only to the manner the business relates to a customer but also to the society at large. It is […]
Practicing Socially Responsible Practices Internally
In previous articles, we have seen how companies need to adopt CSR as a business need and imperative. The role of media and advocacy groups was discussed as well. In this article, we turn to a crucial but often neglected aspect of a company’s social responsibility i.e. the need to be socially conscious with its […]
Customers Expectations and Delight
Introduction In today’s ultra competitive business environment merely meeting customer expectations is not enough. In order to effectively differentiate themselves from the competition, service providers need to focus on exceeding customer expectations to create customer delight and create a pool of loyal customers. Therefore, when deciding on a service delivery design, it is imperative for […]
Customers Response and its Advantages
Customer response is the reaction by the organization to the queries and activities of the customer. Dealing with these queries intelligently is very important as small misunderstandings could convey unalike perceptions. Success totally depends on understanding and interpreting these queries and then working out to provide the best solution. During this situation if the supplier […]
Unethical Practices and Sweatshops in Developing Countries
The Phenomenon of Sweatshops The global marketplace is driven by intense price competition as well as quality considerations. This means that those exporters who can offer quality at the lowest price often bag the orders from the global corporations like Nike, GAP, Apple, and other western multinationals who outsource their production to emerging markets. Since […]
Mass media perform a vital and a crucial role in society. They are called the Fourth Estate, as they are one of the pillars of democracy along with the executive, legislature, and the other socioeconomic forces that bind a society together. In this context, it is important to note that they are both the watchdogs of public behavior of elected officials and custodians of popular goodwill as they seek to report on the goings-on in society.
Hence, mass media are especially relevant to society because without the media, we would never know what is happening in the world around us and be without the moral compass and ethical conscience needed to hold society together.
The point here is that like all opinion makers, the mass media has both a duty and a responsibility towards society and this is the reason it is considered a vital part of modern democracies.
Given the important role that mass media plays in society, recent trends that indicate that the mass media is reneging on its social responsibility and instead becoming hostage to special interests and vested agendas. The phenomenon of paid news, manipulated content, and bargaining with corporates in order to portray them in favorable light or outright demands for bribes in order to not air content are all pointers to the degeneration that has taken place within the context of the contemporary times. Further, the mass media themselves have become susceptible to corrupt practices and given the fact that they are the gatekeepers for democracy, these tendencies must be avoided. As the scandals over many prominent media houses in the UK and the US reveal, the mass media are no longer independent purveyors of truth but instead have become the tools of special interests.
According to many observers, the transition from print media to digital media (TV, Internet and Social Media) have made mass media more powerful as it gives them access to Billions of viewers and lack of geographical constraints as is the case with newspapers. Hence, they are now bestowed with superior powers over society. This raises the prospect of falling prey to manipulation and pushing agendas easier. However, it needs to be mentioned that this is precisely the reason they should not succumb to the temptations of taking the easy way out, as they now are responsible for events on a global scale as opposed to happenings on a local or regional level.
It is indeed the case that mass media are critically relevant to society because of the various reasons discussed above. Further, it is also the fact that the mass media are now in a position wherein they can make or mar the chances of celebrities, politicians, businesspersons, and sportspersons. Hence, the responsibility, which has been vested with them by society, has to be exercised judiciously and not carelessly or with a hidden agenda. In conclusion, the mass media have surely come a long way since the time they used to report on city and council events. Now, they have a global platform and global responsibilities, which means that they should have a conscience as well.
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