Explore On The Concept Of Media Social Responsibility And Its Development In The West

There is no doubt that, nowadays, the influence of media is very enormous. It permeates into every aspect of our life. The information we get from media has great effect on our cognition to others, society and even the universe. Media, which embraces such great influence, can’t just aim at making profit as simple as the enterprise, but also must shoulders social responsibility. Nowadays, mass media has already made great progress on it, and some even remarkable. However, there is still some media not only doesn’t shoulder its social responsibility, but also makes negative effect on our society and the public. As a result, the concern about media social responsibility never fades among the public, academia, or inside the journalism industry.Through combing and analyzing the western media social responsibility concept and its development, this paper is going to deepen our systemic understanding of the concept of media social responsibility, provide reference for contemporary Chinese media about how to shoulder social responsibility, and promote the development of mass media itself. In the following parts, we will discuss the issue in these four parts:The first part is introduction. Discuss the background and theoretical basis. Review the related research, define the core concepts and list the main contents and methods of the research.The second part investigates the media social responsibility concept in the view of pre-journalistic professionalism. At the beginning of the birth of journalism, it didn’t have complete independence and real freedom, let alone became a profession and had journalistic professionalism. In this situation, media suffered a lot. In order to exist, it had to ignore its own responsibility and mission, and even became a tool of political struggle. The concept of media social responsibility had been hidden or ignored.The third part analyzes the media social responsibility concept in the view of journalistic professionalism. Mass media became mature gradually and develop toward the direction of professional. The journalistic professionalism started to establish. At the same time, the media social responsibility concept had a great development. The theory of media social responsibility was first normally put forward and its influence and value became grater and grater.The fourth part explores the fragmentation of journalistic professionalism and the new trend of the media social responsibility concept. With the development of society, great changes have taken place on both the environment and media itself. Journalistic professionalism has become fragmentized under different effects. At the same time, the media social responsibility concept is also led to a new trend.The thesis uses the view of history and focus on the key question-the concept of media social responsibility and its development in the west. The thesis put this key question into the whole environment of social economy, politics, culture and mass communication to make a multidisciplinary and comprehensive explore. Besides, the thesis also takes the view of journalistic professionalism, analyze the logic relationship between media social responsibility and journalistic professionalism. On the basis of the carding, explore how the concept of media social responsibility to appear, practice and develop. The thesis focuses on the development of journalism with a panoramic view and takes consideration of journalism from a moral and ethical angle.Media has never been isolated and neither did the concept of media social responsibility appears without any foundation. They always appear and develop in a certain social and historical environment and influenced by various factors such as economy, politics, technology and culture, and vice verse. The concept of media social responsibility is related to journalistic professionalism closely, especially in the process of their development. Although the concept of media social responsibility presents differently in different social and historical background, its development is neither jumpy nor alternative. It always deepens and enriches the former concept and also adjusts it according to the particular situation. There’s no doubt that the concept has great significance. It eases the tension between the public and the media in some extent and period. However, western journalism is founded in the basis of capitalist private ownership, which decides the concept cannot solve the deep and basic contradiction and paradox. In the situation of journalistic professionalism fragmentation, media commercialization, new media presenting different characteristics, transnational media group monopoly power becoming greater and greater, the concept of western media social responsibility is going to suffer huge challenges. But the challenge may also be an opportunity. How to adapt to the new media ecology, balance business interests and the public service responsibility, become a new topic that social responsibility needs to face.