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Politico-media complex
The politico-media complex (PMC, also referred to as the political-media complex) is a name given to the network of relationships between a state's political and ruling classes and its media industry. It may also encompass other interest groups, such as law (and its enforcement), corporations and multinationals. The term PMC is used as a pejorative, to refer to the collusion between governments, individual politicians, and the media industry.
Before Johannes Gutenberg introduced movable type to Europe in 1450, most information was delivered by town criers, ministers from the pulpit, or bartenders. Town criers spread information and news including royal edicts, police regulations, important community events and war news. These early methods of communication were often delivered by messengers on foot and could be easily controlled by the ruling class. With the invention of the printing press, written news began to spread. Corantos, which were semi-regular pamphlets that reported the news, are an example of the early politico-media complex. Popular in England, corantos reported mostly foreign news as the royal government attempted to control what domestic news reached the masses. Corantos eventually would become regular periodicals that were subject to less political control and mark one of the earlier forms of industrialized media.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers".
Although print media in the West has suffered from declining advertising trends, many newspapers and magazines in the Middle East continue to publish well. For countries in which the majority of the population does not have easy access to the Internet or television, newspapers and magazines are some ways to get the news. However, the independence from political influence and dependability of newsprint is questionable in many countries. The Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, an index measuring the amount of press freedom in the world implies that in Western first world countries, the rights of the press are not fully respected, and that the press is not completely free to investigate or criticize the government. However, the index also reports the situation is worse in politically unstable nations.
Newspapers and magazines open two-way dialogues between readers and journalists. Some studies have shown that the print media are more likely to reinforce existing political attitudes of the masses than change them.
Reporters Without Borders, an international non-governmental organization that promotes freedom of the press, produces an annual Press Freedom Index assessing countries' press freedom. Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard said at the release of the 2009 Press Freedom Index: "It is disturbing to see European democracies such as France, Italy and Slovakia fall steadily in the rankings year after year [...] Europe should be setting an example as regards civil liberties. How can you condemn human rights violations abroad if you do not behave irreproachably at home? The Obama effect, which has enabled the United States to recover 16 places in the index, is not enough to reassure us."
The press is censored in the People's Republic of China through the Golden Shield Project known worldwide as the Great Firewall of China. Reporters Without Borders ranks China's press situation as "very serious," the worst possible ranking on their five-point scale. China's press was ranked 173rd out of 179 countries in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index. The Chinese government maintains the legal authority to censor the press, and in defense of censorship, claims that the Chinese Communist Party has the most freedom of the press since there is no wealthy minority controlling it. In the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, China dropped 5 places to 177.
Middle Eastern print media is mainly paid for by private funders, either a specific family or specific government party.[citation needed] Some Middle Eastern newspapers and magazines have been accused of having obvious political ties. Many countries in the Middle East and Africa have harsh government restrictions concerning what can be published. Restricting rationales may include politics or economics. Iran, ranked 174 out of 179 in 2013, is described as highly censored, as the Iranian government maintains strict control over much of the print and broadcast media and news websites. Reporters Without Borders has said that journalists in Israel "enjoy real freedom of expression despite the existence of military censorship." However, Professor Yoram Peri of the University of Maryland has said that Israel experienced a media control crackdown as the government censors coverage of military action coverage, displaying how governments often limit press freedom during times of war. According to Reporters Without Borders in 2009, Eritrea in Northern Africa is the worst ranked country for journalistic freedom. Eritrea is currently a one-party "transitional government" which has yet to enact its ratified constitution. Other African countries at the bottom of the 2009 Press Freedom Index include Syria (165) and Somalia (164). Both countries exhibit little journalistic freedom and are infamous for their unstable transitional governments and near constant warfare.
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Politico-media complex
The politico-media complex (PMC, also referred to as the political-media complex) is a name given to the network of relationships between a state's political and ruling classes and its media industry. It may also encompass other interest groups, such as law (and its enforcement), corporations and multinationals. The term PMC is used as a pejorative, to refer to the collusion between governments, individual politicians, and the media industry.
Before Johannes Gutenberg introduced movable type to Europe in 1450, most information was delivered by town criers, ministers from the pulpit, or bartenders. Town criers spread information and news including royal edicts, police regulations, important community events and war news. These early methods of communication were often delivered by messengers on foot and could be easily controlled by the ruling class. With the invention of the printing press, written news began to spread. Corantos, which were semi-regular pamphlets that reported the news, are an example of the early politico-media complex. Popular in England, corantos reported mostly foreign news as the royal government attempted to control what domestic news reached the masses. Corantos eventually would become regular periodicals that were subject to less political control and mark one of the earlier forms of industrialized media.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers".
Although print media in the West has suffered from declining advertising trends, many newspapers and magazines in the Middle East continue to publish well. For countries in which the majority of the population does not have easy access to the Internet or television, newspapers and magazines are some ways to get the news. However, the independence from political influence and dependability of newsprint is questionable in many countries. The Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, an index measuring the amount of press freedom in the world implies that in Western first world countries, the rights of the press are not fully respected, and that the press is not completely free to investigate or criticize the government. However, the index also reports the situation is worse in politically unstable nations.
Newspapers and magazines open two-way dialogues between readers and journalists. Some studies have shown that the print media are more likely to reinforce existing political attitudes of the masses than change them.
Reporters Without Borders, an international non-governmental organization that promotes freedom of the press, produces an annual Press Freedom Index assessing countries' press freedom. Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard said at the release of the 2009 Press Freedom Index: "It is disturbing to see European democracies such as France, Italy and Slovakia fall steadily in the rankings year after year [...] Europe should be setting an example as regards civil liberties. How can you condemn human rights violations abroad if you do not behave irreproachably at home? The Obama effect, which has enabled the United States to recover 16 places in the index, is not enough to reassure us."
The press is censored in the People's Republic of China through the Golden Shield Project known worldwide as the Great Firewall of China. Reporters Without Borders ranks China's press situation as "very serious," the worst possible ranking on their five-point scale. China's press was ranked 173rd out of 179 countries in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index. The Chinese government maintains the legal authority to censor the press, and in defense of censorship, claims that the Chinese Communist Party has the most freedom of the press since there is no wealthy minority controlling it. In the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, China dropped 5 places to 177.
Middle Eastern print media is mainly paid for by private funders, either a specific family or specific government party.[citation needed] Some Middle Eastern newspapers and magazines have been accused of having obvious political ties. Many countries in the Middle East and Africa have harsh government restrictions concerning what can be published. Restricting rationales may include politics or economics. Iran, ranked 174 out of 179 in 2013, is described as highly censored, as the Iranian government maintains strict control over much of the print and broadcast media and news websites. Reporters Without Borders has said that journalists in Israel "enjoy real freedom of expression despite the existence of military censorship." However, Professor Yoram Peri of the University of Maryland has said that Israel experienced a media control crackdown as the government censors coverage of military action coverage, displaying how governments often limit press freedom during times of war. According to Reporters Without Borders in 2009, Eritrea in Northern Africa is the worst ranked country for journalistic freedom. Eritrea is currently a one-party "transitional government" which has yet to enact its ratified constitution. Other African countries at the bottom of the 2009 Press Freedom Index include Syria (165) and Somalia (164). Both countries exhibit little journalistic freedom and are infamous for their unstable transitional governments and near constant warfare.