Research - Sean Dunne - Media Magazine - 2004.

Article Written By Sean Dunne

Media Magazine 8, April 2004

'Handling Hutton- what you should know about the controversy over the Hutton Report'

https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/media-magazine/articles/15840

• 'The role of a national broadcaster which must remain impartial even while receiving public money via Government is always a difficult one. At its heart are questions over what public service broadcasting is for: to provide a unique range and variety of programming or to be just another producer of popular entertainment chasing audience figures?'

I think this is implying that national broadcasters on TV Media often do just screen programmes and certain programmes or stories to get more views rather than providing the audience with the honest true stories that may not bring more views, on the basis of profit and earnings.

• 'The Government holds lots of information that the public want or need. It employs impartial civil servants whose job it is to inform the public, usually via the news media, of what is happening. If the issue is controversial or shows the Government in a bad light, special advisors (or spin doctors) like Campbell get involved and advise how to release the information.'

Although this quote may be primarily about the Government rather than moral panic I think it could be related. The Government holds information on many things so they would have an impact on what is publicised through the media (whether it be tabloid or online), therefore this suggests they have control over many topics and could give its employees instructions to present a certain group or issue in society in a negative way or in a way which would benefit the Government to provide them with a positive reputation from the public.

•  'News sources are sometimes called primary definers. They are an important influence on what goes into the news because they hold the information. This is an ideological issue because in this way powerful voices can decide what we can think about by influencing the news agenda.'

Powerful voices influencing the news are what could be the cause of many moral panics we have in society today, for example the stigma towards mental health, asylum seekers or Islam; they have the power to control what the audience of the media texts think- whether it be positive or negative.