Dear Trond,
Thanks for your work in this area. I have been interested in the area of "Political
Economiy of the Media" for many years. Here is a model that I developed and use when
discussing the question of why journalists all over a given country invariably cover
the same stories, ask the same basic questions and avoid other basic questions often
without any apparent explicit collusion or conspiracies between them.
The Spiral of SUCKcess in Journalism
(Some Core Interrelated Imperatives)
For the individual journalist:
^--->Name Recognition------->l
l and Ratings l
l l
l l
l V
Exposure Access
^ l
l l
l l
l l
l<------- Big Story<-------- V
("Scoop")
All of these journalists dream of becoming another Woodward/Berstein where a big
story leads to exposure leading to name recognition leading to preferred access
leading to another big story etc...
There are different pathways into and out of this spiral (upward or downward):
1) Gimmick ----> Exposure ---> Nam Recognition --->...
2) Lateral Move (e.g established name in sports becomes instant "journalist)
----> Name Recognition/Ratings ---> access --->...
3) Not asking Nasty Questions/Asking Softball Questions ---> Access ---->...
4) Accidental Big Story ----> Exposure ---->....
The same applies with entertainment media (replace Big Story with Big Hit)
For the Individual Total Profit Maximizing Media Organization:
l------>Effective Competition ---->l
l l
l l
l V
Maximization Total Profit Maximization
of Productivity l
^ l
l l
l <-------Widening/Deepening<------l
Productive Base
(Not asking nasty questions/asking safe questions) ---> Access
Access---> Big Stories/Scoops --->Exposure ---> Organization Recognition/Ratings
Ratings---> Higher Advertising Revenues/Market Share---->increased Total Profits
increased Total Profits ---> New Technologies/Glitzy Presentations/"Stars"
New Technologies/Glitizy Presentations/Stars ----> increased exposure--->...
These respective "Spirals of Suckcess" are interpenetrating.
Granted this model is somewhat teleological, structural functionalist etc. But it
does account for the facts and the patterns of consistency in terms of what is
covered/not covered and what questions are asked/not asked by journalists not
overtly or explicitly communicating with each other; it is also in accordance with
how capitalism works and the fundamental interrelated imperatives of total profit
maximization necessary but not sufficient for widening/deepening productive base
which is necessary but not sufficient for maximization of productivity which is
necessary but not sufficient for effective competition which is necessary but not
sufficient for total profit maximization...
Jim Craven
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