وظائف الوسائل الصحفية للتأثير الجماهيري ١_a .. كتاب دراسات نظرية في علم الصحافة

Functions of journalistic media for mass influence

Some bourgeois theorists in the field of journalism do not accept, and because of their bourgeois ideology, they cannot accept the socialist theory concerning the basic functions of the press means of mass influence, as an agitator, advocate and collective organizer. Of course, regardless of the fact that the bourgeois theorists turn a blind eye to the established facts in reality

For the bourgeois press, as well as for radio and television, the bourgeois journalistic means of mass influence more or less implement these functions. Because of this, the majority of bourgeois theorists find themselves compelled to answer certain functions of journalism, radio and television, which they often call differently and use other terms. But terms and designations are not the most important thing. The important thing is - what are the functions that have been discovered in the press, radio and television, and the interests of the class that serve these functions, and what are the tangible tasks of the journalistic means of mass influence. Bourgeois theorists in the field of journalism often confuse the concepts of functions and tasks of journalism.

Tudor Peterson, in his book Four Theories of Journalism, states:
The following six functions of journalism:

1_ To serve the political system, and to provide information and study of social issues.

The mere formulation of this function of the press in the manner defined by Peterson clearly demonstrates the class character of the press. The bourgeois press, as well as radio and television, serve the capitalist political system and strive with all their capabilities to consolidate this system.

The media provided by the bourgeois press is always based on bourgeois ideology and politics. Also, the treatment of social problems in the bourgeois press is always done in the interest of consolidating and consolidating capitalism.

The sharp struggles between the bourgeois parties for power, which find wide reflection in the press, are not related to the holy of holies of capitalism, i.e. its socio-economic system, but rather revolve around criticizing the bourgeois politicians currently in power, and are limited to creating an electoral mood against the ruling party, and in praising the opposing party. who aspires to power. The hype in the bourgeois press is about this. And that no matter how colored and measured the expressions used. And when the opposition bourgeois party seizes power, it works to consolidate the foundations of capitalism no less than the other bourgeois party that was removed from it, of course, in the course of carrying out these tasks - now these are tasks, not jobs of the bourgeois press. The bourgeois press performs an agitational and propaganda function and does not even reject its organizational function.

2- Peterson defined the second function of the bourgeois press as educating and educating the public with the aim of becoming able to manage and conduct its own affairs. It is natural that what is meant by this is self-management within the framework of the bourgeois system and not the true independence of the countries and peoples dependent on the imperialist states, and also socialist self-management is not what is meant either. But, also, within the framework of the capitalist system, the bourgeois press is keen and calls for a formal self-management that does not give the popular masses any real power, but rather fully preserves and strengthens more and more the control of the huge monopolies over the actual administration of the state.

3. The third function that Peterson has identified for the bourgeois press is the preservation of the rights of the individual against the government. This grant, of the liberal bourgeoisie, is a beautiful phrase intended to strengthen the theoretical aura of the bourgeois press, and is entirely an empty phrase when it comes to the rights of the broad popular masses in the bourgeois state. When the owner of institutions, commercial companies and banks. . . And others, then the press, which in turn belongs to individuals who have millions, not only preserves these individuals as maintains a government ready to shoot with all its tools against the government if it shows any progressive tendencies or if it causes any harm to the interests of the big capitalists. And if a bourgeois newspaper or magazine sheds crocodile tears over the rights of the individual among the broad masses of people whose rights are brutally denied by the government, this cannot at all be more than a tactical action in the context of the struggle for power within the various monopolistic groups and between the bourgeois parties led by them. These monopolistic classes. Here the bourgeois press exerts itself, but tramples all its efforts to defend the interests of the individual against the government. The bourgeois press does not go beyond this limit, because after this begins serious criticism of bourgeois governments as an outlet that does not know grumbling to the will of big capital, just as begins after this limit the criticism of the capitalist system that viciously abuses all the basic rights of the broad popular masses, especially their right to decide their own destiny. And to organize life in her country according to her concepts and interests and not according to the interests of the capitalists. This is a forbidden territory, and bourgeois journalists flee from it as the devil flees from incense.

4 _ The press must serve the economic system. It is mainly done by linking buyers and sellers of commodities through advertising. This is the fourth job that Peterson defines for journalism.

In no way can we deny the great role played by advertisements in the bourgeois press, as advertisements occupy the largest part of the area of ​​the major daily newspapers. In most of these newspapers, the journalistic materials are lost and piled up among the huge and picturesque advertisements, which scream and shriek to attract the reader's attention, and which often occupy the entire page.

There is no doubt that advertising is important in promoting commodities, and in informing the reader so that he knows how to shop: but advertising in the bourgeois press has long since given up satisfying this natural need and dominates the newspapers and, subject to the fierce competition of the capitalist market, has become more noisy, and more impudent, so that he no longer knows Shame, as it became more egregious falsehood, often distorted the publication of newspapers and forced the transfer of materials related to important social issues to the rear.

Readers of the bourgeois press have become accustomed to this noisy and scandalous form, and to this huge amount of advertisements, to the point that advertisements have become for the readers synonymous with the concept of newspaper or magazine.