How media companies can show social responsibility
- Learning for Life and Work
- May 1, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 9
What is social responsibility?
Social responsibility is when people commit themselves to making a difference to the lives of others and have a genuine concern for the welfare of others.
The role of the media
The ways the media reports information and educates the public about certain social and human rights issues can influence people's thinking, attitude and behaviour.
The ways media companies can show social responsibility:
They can follow a code of practice. This would provide guidelines about what they can publish in the public interest. This helps to ensure that they act in ways which are socially responsible.

They have policies and guidelines on expected standards of professional behaviour in relation to data protection and obtaining, recording, storing and reporting information to the public. This encourages staff to be socially responsible.

They can provide unbiased, authentic information that accurately interprets issues/events/actions and is not misleading. By doing this they act responsibly to ensure they present a balanced view about issues to the public.

They should be careful in their use of language and content to ensure they do not cause offence or create tension between different groups of people in society.

They should be inclusive in their coverage of issues and represent and reflect the diverse viewpoints in society. This helps to promote equality.

They can raise public awareness about social equality issues, human rights abuses and corruption. They can challenge and hold those responsible, including the government, to public account. They have a social responsibility to make the public aware of issues that can affect people.

They have a role in educating and entertaining the public. They have a social responsibility to be inclusive and ensure they have a broad coverage of articles/programmes to cater for diverse groups in society.

QUESTIONS YOU COULD BE ASKED ON THIS
Explain two ways media companies can demonstrate social responsibility (4marks)
Media companies can follow a code of practice. This gives them rules about what they can publish and helps them make sure their content is fair, truthful, and in the public interest. (2 marks)
They can report information in an honest and balanced way. This means avoiding fake news or bias and making sure the public gets accurate facts about events or issues. (2 marks)
Comments