Week 5.

by Alex.

Who’s paying for journalism & why it matters.

In Good Night & Good Luck, Edward Murrow experiences a combination of forces working against him and his growing persistence in reporting on Senator McCarthy. Although many people are truly frightened by the potential outcomes of such a report, Murrow’s executives at CBS are primarily concerned with the lack of funding they will receive from their trusted advertising company if they choose to continue with the reporting of the Senator. Murrow even offers to split the advertising cost with his colleague, Friendly, if it means that he will be able to continue in his endeavor.

Journalists walk a thin line between supplying the public with what they want and what they need, while still realizing that this is their job – this is what feeds their family. Although loyalty to the public is first and foremost, journalists also feel the pressure of economic priorities from their editors and employers. Advertisers want their products promoted a certain way, positioned so that they most light is shed on its most favorable qualities. Like in the movie, the editors and executives are concerned with the productivity and success of their company as a whole. A journalist is constantly called to decide between their employers’ ideas for income, or their own personal agenda, which often brings the same success as their employers’ proposals.

Although demographics often become another force pushing journalists, it can be beneficial. Rather than simply conforming to what an editor believes would be best, the writer can become involved with what the public is genuinely interested in. For many journalists, this is difficult because they may not be interested in writing about what their audience is interested in reading. However, the loyalty of a journalist is not lost when they choose to adhere and relate to their audience, rather than their employer or advertising companies (as in Edward Murrow’s situation) for their economic values.

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