William Branch's Battle With FCC Spotlights Media's Impact on Society - Essay Sample

Introduction

The William Branch VS FCC case highlighted the impact the media has on society and the need for this influence to be regulated. William Branch was a television reporter who worked for the KOVR station in California. However, he got involved in the governance and politics of his local community. He was first engaged in efforts to classify his hometown, Loomis, as a town. Once this was successful, he attempted to vie for a position in the new Loomis town council. His editors, however, advised him that he would have to resign from his place in the station because, under section 315 of the constitution, the station was bound to provide an equal amount of airtime to his opponents. This was because Branch appeared on the television severally during his work. The station advised him to take unpaid leave for the duration of the election, and even then, he would not be assured of a position once the election was over. Branch opted to forego the election and went to court seeking a review of section 315 in case he decided to vie in the future. He requested for a discussion of whether media stations were bound to offer the same coverage as opponents of broadcasters and the constitutionality of the statute in its application ("Branch V. F.C.C., 824 F.2d 37").

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Literature Review

Federal statute 47 of the United States Constitution under section 315(1982) places a burden of equal time on the broadcasters (Miller). This indicates that a media station is bound to offer equal opportunities to opposing candidates if they request it. Therefore if a station allows a candidate to appear on primetime, it is bound to let other candidates to look too. A revision was later carried out that forced media stations to offer time to the candidates at the same rate as their preferred advertiser. This rule was a consequence of the growth of media influence in society. The Federal Communications Commission was attempting to ensure media stations do not influence election results by presenting the only side of a political race. The only exemption to the rule is: if the appearance of the candidate was part of a documentary, if the candidate appeared for a news interview, if the impression was scheduled as part of a newscast and if the presentation was part of an on-the-spot news event. The commission, however, ruled William Branch did not meet any of these exemptions. These exemptions were meant to allow the media stations to choose activities that were worthy of being broadcast. This, the commission hoped, would prevent the government from acting as an editor hence promoting freedom of speech and information. Branch contested a section of the law that stated that an appearance of a media station employee on television after nomination as a public office candidate placed an unfair advantage on the employee even if they were reporting on general activities. William Branch lost his case, but his case highlighted the influence media has on all spheres of society. According to a Global Web Index, 54% of media time is accrued online daily, 12% of the globe is tuned to online television in a day, 10% tune into online radios, 12% rely on online press for their daily news, 28% use a social network site, 13% log in to a micro-blogging site, 9% either read or own a blog and 17% use the internet for other things such as commerce("54% of Daily Media Time Spent Online"). This shows that individuals can receive information at the click of a button without verification of either being true or false.

Method

I chose this case study because of the relevance of its tenets to contemporary society. The media space has expanded with the development of new technology and media platforms. However, there lacks adequate legislation to police it.

Discussion

The influence of media in modern society cannot be understated. William Thomas Stead, a journalist, stated that editors decide what their readers shall know and what they shall know (Shafer). They can excite the public or dampen their mood. This statement can not be further from the truth, especially in the current technology era. The race to punish a story first and get the most views and likes on social media has diminished accuracy within media. Media occupies a unique but influential position in society. It is a medium of communication which all members of community rely on. For example, political candidates need the media to pass their policies to citizens, while the citizens rely on the media to give their views. The F.C.C. was right to deny William Branch an opportunity to vie while keeping his job, but in the current society, these rules are not sufficient.

Cases of social media companies selling their users' personal information to data mining companies without regard to their privacy have come up. This information is then sold to politicians and companies, allowing them to develop advertisements for each user; this creates a possibility for propaganda and misinformation. It is virtually impossible to determine if what you are reading is true or not when you are the only one seeing it.

Media platforms are being used to perpetuate ideas of what is beautiful, acceptable, and fashionable. Fashion magazines target the youths who are the most impressionable hence encouraging the development of anorexia and eating disorders(C). Emotionally, young people have less self-esteem and confidence in themselves. This creation of perfection diminishes the difference between reality and fantasy ("Cultivation Theory"). The normalization of drug abuse by the media through films and music is a factor for drug usage among young people. Celebrities are shown as the epitome of success due to their flashy lives and bodies.

Media influence can be felt even in the political sphere - the decision on whom to cover matters a lot. The media often avoid candidates who are deemed not newsworthy. Therefore, candidates are often forced to make pronouncements that are controversial to remain relevant to the news cycle. This denies voters an opportunity to engage with all candidates. Media bias on ideology has also developed. This has created media outlets that don't challenge the belief systems of their audiences. They inform the audience about what they want to know. The media is also accused of creating scripts and simplifying electoral issues. This has shaped perceptions of races and analysis of who is the favorite to win and lose. Candidates are given nicknames, and their characters are molded to fit these roles (Brichacek). Some candidates can be referred to as racists, foolish, or boring. The public will believe these perceptions and not look beyond.

However, the media is not all gloom in a world where leaders prefer to be politically correct. The media has played the role of watchdog. It has brought to the public misdeeds of politicians and hold them accountable. It is this role that needs to be highlighted, and the media encouraged to pursue.

Conclusion

A free and vibrant media is critical for the economic, social, and political development of any society. However, this freedom needs to be monitored and policed. Mainstream media needs to strengthen its internal mechanisms of disciplining members who report malicious information. The government, on the other hand, has to enforce existing legislation. For example, advertisers, both on mainstream and social media, should state the effects of their products. Incidences of advertisements encouraging pregnant women to take weight loss pills have been reported on social media. There is a need for social media companies to have simple and easy to understand rules on how their users' information will be shared. The government should create legislation guiding social media companies.

Works Cited

"54% of Daily Media Time Spent Online." GlobalWebIndex Blog, 6 Jan. 2017, blog.globalwebindex.com/chart-of-the-day/54-of-daily-media-time-spent-online/.

"Branch V. F.C.C, 824 F.2d 37." Better Legal Research | Casetext, casetext.com/case/branch-v-fcc.

Brichacek, Andra. "Six Ways the Media Influence Elections." School of Journalism and Communication, 4 Dec. 2018, journalism.uoregon.edu/news/six-ways-media-influences-elections.

C, Vincent R. "Transnational Media and the Survival of Democracy." Department of communication, 2001, www.communication.indstate.ed/transnational_media.html.

Chandler D. "Cultivation Theory." 1995, www.cutivationtheory.htm.

Miller, Philip. "Media Law for Producers." 2013.

Shafer, Jack. "Explaining the Journalist's Urge to Run for Office." Slate Magazine, slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/04/explaining-the-journalist-s-urge-to-run-for-office.html.