The media as a whole has earned itself a dubious reputation for individual acts of bias. From politics to environmental issues, the media has realized the scope of its influence and been accused on more than one occasion of using the trust of the people to change the landscape and public view of issues and situations that should be uncovered with the pure virtue often associated with objective reporting.
The media has long been an ally to the public trust and in the past been used to correct unfair situations; acting as an equalizer for the individual that lacked the volume to be heard in David Vs. Goliath struggles against major corporations and even Government authority. It was this history that raised the media status as champion of the people. However the other side that is often forgotten about is the involvement of the media in defending the same major corporations and government branches. By supporting these offices, media also gains a window into its most important asset in the business of reporting, access to information and individual sources within those organizations.
Through the support of the larger agencies and selective integrity when it comes to reporting, individual journalist and media corps avoid the scrutiny and possibly becoming target of lawsuits by major corporations, when toeing the line between investigative reporting and invasion of privacy/ libel / and defamation. Government officials and offices can also levy harsh penalties through their positions for indiscretions of the press as they pertain to the overzealous nature of some reporting.
For example in 2003, Jane Akre and Steve Wilson had reported that a synthetic hormone injections occurring at a milk processing plant, would be responsible for contaminating a portion of America’s milk. Upon pressure from Monsanto, Fox News Corp would scrap the expose for unseen reasons. At Akre’s exception and threatening to expose Fox for withholding the story and...