Why Is Liberttarian Journalism Important To America?

Here in America today, we practice social responsibility journalism although, in our nation’s beginning, we practiced libertarian journalism. Libertarian journalism is defined as “mass communication where media or press is given absolute freedom to publish anything at any time and acts as a watchdog” (Mirsha, n.d.-a) While social responsibility journalism is a theory of journalism that “encourages total freedom to press and no censorship… [but] should be regulated according to social responsibilities and external controls” (Mirsha, n.d.-b). This includes the viewers and readers of media, along with governing agencies like the FCC. However, the change in America from libertarian to social responsibility journalism was not beneficial to America.

When the media is regulated, the full scope of the news story is not necessarily portrayed in its fullest light. For example, when ISIS cut the head off of an American man, the media was unable to show the full video of the terrible act. Since the media was unable to show the full video, as the FCC would not allow it, we were unable to fully comprehend the full extent of the violence. While the supporters of the government regulation of media would claim that it is unnecessary to show the full video, as it would be exposing children to an unnecessary act of violence, this is not the case. Parents can easily regulate what their children watch if they feel it is inappropriate for their child. As adults, we can choose to continue watching the crime or look away. Without the barriers, the media would be able to show the full scope of every story. This would be more beneficial than any regulation as we would be able to make informed decisions about which actions to take as a result of the story. As Ferdinand Mount is quoted as saying, “one of the unsung freedoms that go with a free press is the freedom not to read it”

The supports of social responsibility journalism believe that the media will publish anything to make money and obtain viewers and thus, the media regulation is necessary. While it may be true that some people will report anything, under libertarian journalism, it is assumed that people are rational beings and will go to multiple sources to learn their news. This means that when one company accidently, or purposefully, lies to the public, the truth is still able to be found. When the people see that only one paper or station is reporting that Hillary Clinton won the Electoral College, but all other media outlets are reporting that Donald Trump won, we are able to use our rationality and deduce that the outlet that reports that Hillary Clinton won the Electoral College is wrong. This makes the regulation of media unnecessary, leading us back to libertarian journalism, and away from the regulation of social responsibility