FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF JOURNALISM
S. Arkhipov
INTRODUCTION
In order the
students could be active citizens of their countries they should possess
scholastic knowledge on a role of the press in a society as far as Mass Media
are not only a basis of any state, but also and a key factor in long-term
sustainable development.
In the end of
the 20th century many states created the democratic republics
guaranteeing freedom of the press, however some governments excluded it from
democratic values. The situation started to change in connection with fast
development of technology of communications. National borders are not a barrier
for the news flow nowadays; therefore autocratic governments meet more
difficulties to hold journalists under tough control.
After falling
Political and
technological innovations have led to expansion of opportunities for
journalists, however new conditions have created new challenges and unknown
problems. Popular magazines and newspapers lost financial stability and some of
them disappeared from the market as well as a number of TV and radio programs
were sharply reduced.
THE COURSE
OBJECTIVES
The purpose
of the course is an attempt to teach the students deeply understand problems of
modern journalism. During lectures and seminars they should learn some
questions of paramount importance for further development of Mass Media. For
example, why leaders of some democratic states often use old methods of
management the press? Why some governments show unwillingness to give equal
access to radio frequencies to private stations and take steps to limit
dialogue with public to those expresses disagreement with an official policy?
Whether statements about revival of the economic censorship limiting resources
to newspapers and magazines are fair? Whether the facts of financial pressure
upon democratic Mass Media prove to be true?
The students
should study how Mass Media respond to pressure from governmental officials and
how journalists continue to struggle for their audience. What they did in order
to update design and manage their editions successfully as well as how they
compete the newest media of mass communications and, especially, Internet.
The primary
goal of the course is to re-consider role of freedom of the press and the
social responsibility of journalism as a social value. It is planned to make
the review of various definitions of freedom of a press, to analyze how much
these definitions correspond to Russian conditions. There will be also an
analysis of conflicts between values bounded up with freedom of the press and
with such as privacy, public safety, copyright, and censorship. A number of
problems connected with technological innovations in sphere of mass
communications should be discussed during this course.
REQUIREMENTS
To become
proficient in the topic in question all students should study recommended literature for
the course. General requirements aim both to provide students with deep
knowledge as well as to develop their rhetorical skills and readiness to use
them in public debates.
After end of
study the course all students should be able to analyze professional, legal,
ethical, and economic context out of which concepts of freedom of the press and
social responsibility of journalism arose. They should also conduct tolerantly
to the points of view not only supporters, but also opponents of freedom of the
press. For this purpose they should know the most widespread concepts and
definitions of freedom of the press and the social responsibility of
journalism, beginning from occurrence of this value down to its modern
condition as well as major scholastic publications on this topic.
Finally all
students should possess deep knowledge on historical, philosophical, political,
cultural, and legal aspects of Mass Media evolution within different cultures
and civilizations. They should also fulfill class assignments, which include
tasks for reading, work in groups, written work, oral presentation,
participating in debates of current issues of Mass Media development,
successfully to pass mid-term tests and final exam.
Having
achieved each of educational goals, students will both expand their knowledge
and develop their ability to defend their new values in public debates.
Any educator
can use both the book
and this syllabus to
teach this discipline at their institutions of higher learning in