LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITYSanta Cruz Campus Main CampusSta. Cruz, LagunaA.Y.: 2014-2015

RC8 - Media Criticism:Problems in Media Awareness

Submitted by:Katherine M. BiscoAB Broadcasting IV-ASubmitted to: Ms. Alica Ann A. Aquino (Instructor)

INTRODUCTIONMedia play a very important role in the society especially in the modern era. Almost all information about the society that the public acquire today comes from the television, the radio, the newspaper, or the internet. Or else, it cant be consider as credible. Unlike the old times, where people were putting much effort just to tune in with any form of media, people today have a very easy access to absorb news and other important happenings in the society.Thats why it is essential that the media always bring the public reliable, balance, and newsworthy information. On the other hand, people should also be wise enough to be misinformed in any way. As a citizen who is receiving news from the media, how sure one is that the data he is encoding is a hundred percent truth and zero percent manufactured? How aware the public is about the different problems in media?Based on this observation and speculations, a survey was conducted to 15 students and 15 professionals in Sta. Cruz, Laguna regarding their awareness of the problems in Media.

OBJECTIVES1. To know the different problems that the media encounter.2. To measure the publics awareness regarding the problems in media.3. To persuade the public to check first the veracity of the news they acquire. 4. To increase the quality of news and information bring by the media for the people.

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATAProfile of RespondentsTable 1 presents the profile of the respondents in terms of gender, occupation, address and age.GenderAs illustrated in table 1.1, the profile of the respondents in terms of gender was 9 males equivalent to 30% and 21 females equivalent to 70% with a total of 30 respondents equivalent to 100%.

Table 1.1Profile of Respondents in terms of GenderGenderFrequencyPercentage

Male930%

Female2170%

OccupationAs seen in table 1.2 the profile of the respondents in terms of occupation, most of them are students with a frequency of 15 which is 50%. The other 15 were professionals including 4 businessmen, 1 security guard, 5 teachers, 1 psychologist, 1 government employee, 1 private employee and 2 PNP. All in all, it makes 30 respondents equivalent to 100%.

Table 1.2Profile of Respondents in terms of OccupationOccupationFrequencyPercentage

Businessman413.33%

Security Guard13.33%

Teacher516.66%

Psychologist13.33%

Government Employee13.33%

Private Employee13.33%

PNP26.66%

Student1550%

Total30100%

AddressShown in table 1.3 is the profile of the respondents in terms of address. Most of the respondents which is 20 to be exact came from Sta. Cruz, Laguna. It makes 66.66% of them. It is followed by 5 or 16.66% from Pagsanjan Laguna, 2 (6.66%) from Pila Laguna, 2 (6.66%) from Paete Laguna, 1 (3.33%) from Quezon City. All in all, it makes 100%.Table 1.3Profile of the respondents in terms of AddressAddressFrequencyPercentage

Sta. Cruz, Laguna2066.66%

Pagsanjan, Laguna516.66%

Pila, Laguna26.66%

Paete, Laguna13.33%

Quezon City13.33%

Total30100%

AgePresented in table 1.4 is the profile of the respondents in terms of age. The respondents ranges from 19 to 45 years old.Table 1.4Profile of the Respondents in terms of AgeAgeFrequencyPercentage

19723.33%

20723.33%

2126.66%

2213.33%

2613.33%

2913.33%

30310%

31310%

3213.33%

3313.33%

3513.33%

3813.33%

4513.33%

Total30100.00%

Form of Media Use to Find NewsTable 2 presents the percentage of forms of media used to find news of the 30 respondents.As seen from table 2, the respondents' most preferred form of media was television with the frequency score of 30 which is 100%.

Table 2Form of Media Use to Find News

ScorePercentage

TV30100%

Radio00%

Newspaper00%

Internet00%

News Source PreferenceTable 3 presents percentage of news source preference in terms of television, radio, newspaper and internet.TelevisionAs seen from table 3.1, the news source preference in terms of television was rated as always, seldom or never by the respondents.TV Patrol (ABS-CBN Ch. 2) got 24=80% of always, 6=20% of seldom and 0% of never. It was followed by 24 Oras (GMA Ch. 7) which got 6=20% of always, 15=50% of seldom and 9=30% of never and lastly, Aksyon (TV 5 Ch. 5) with 0 of always, 21=70% of seldom and 9=30% of never.Table 3.1Percentage of News Source Preference in terms of Television

AlwaysSeldomNever

TV Patrol (ABS-CBN Ch. 2)24=80%6=20%0=0%

24 Oras (GMA Ch. 7)6=20%15=50%9=30%

Aksyon (TV 5 Ch. 5)021=70%9=30%

Others000

Table 4.1Percentage of Problems In Media in terms of Sensationalism

YESNO

1. Not all news stories are very important for the public to know.25=83.33%5=16.66%

2. News stories are presented in more appealing way to get the publics attention.30=100%0=0%

3. News stories are exaggerated to stimulate the publics curiosity.24=80%6=20%

4. Many news being broadcast are about other peoples failure like issues about politicians and prominent people because the public will buy it.26=86.66%4=13.33%

5. More insignificant news stories are being aired than important news.5=16.6%25=83.33%

OVERALL22=73.33%8=26.66%

High Level of InaccuraciesAs seen from table 4.2, in terms of high level of inaccuracies as one of the problems in media, 17.6=58.66% of the respondents said YES and 12.4=41.33% said NO. This means most of the respondents are aware that some news contain inaccuracies.Table 4.2Percentage of Problems In Media in terms of High Level of Inaccuracies

YESNO

1. Not all news stories are accurate.8=26.66%22=73.33%

2. Not all the sources of information of some news stories are credible.20=66.66%10=33.33%

3. Grammar mistakes can be sometimes found in a news story that is already published/aired in public.28=93.33%2=6.66%

4. Some information are just manufactured or invented by some journalists. 9=30%21=70%

5. There are news being reported which are biased.23=76.67%7=23.33%

OVERALL17.6=58.66%12.4=41.33%

Media Does Not Cover ItselfAs seen from table 4.3, in terms of media does not cover itself as one of the problems in media, 28.2=94% of the respondents said YES and 1.8=6% said NO. This means most of the respondents are aware about media does not cover itself as to being one of the problems in media.Table 4.3Percentage of Problems In Media in terms of Media Does Not Cover Itself

YESNO

1. Media networks always broadcast their achievements.29=96.66%1=3.33%

2. Negative issues about their stations and their artists are not being brought to the public.27=90%3=10%

3. Prominent persons in their station or company involved in an issue are not being scrutinized.26=86.66%4=13.33%

4. Mistakes or wrong deeds of a station are being reported by the other stations.30=100%0=0%

5. Reporters are sometimes being deprived of doing their job when the issue they want to report is not approved by their head personnel.29=96.66%1=3.33%

OVERALL28.2=94%1.8=6%

Focus on Huge Profit Margins, Not Serving the PublicAs seen from table 4.4, in terms of focus on high profit, not serving the public as one of the problems in media, 26.4=86% of the respondents said YES and 3.6=12% said NO. This means most of the respondents are aware that media focus on huge profit margins, not seving the public.

Table 4.4Percentage of Problems In Media in terms of Focus on High Profit, Not Serving the Public

YESNO

1. Media give more importance in the airing of advertisements than the program.30=100%0=0%

2. Media are being controlled by their clients which are the advertisers.25=83.33%5=16.66%

3. Public service is not the main priority of the media.19=63.33%11=36.67%

4. Mass media is also a business that demands a big profit thats why they are after the payments from the product advertisements.29=96.66%1=3.33%

5. News about celebrities are being prioritized for the sake of the fans than the more important news in society.29=96.66%1=3.33%

OVERALL26.4=88%3.6=12%

The Public is misinformed and uninformedAs seen from table 4.5, in terms of the public is misinformed and uninformed as one of the problems in media, 23.8=79.33% of the respondents said YES and 6.2=20.66% said NO. This means that most of the respondents are aware that the public is being misinformed and uninformed by the mediaTable 4.5Percentage of Problems In Media in terms of The Public is Misinformed and Uninformed

YESNO

1. Some information are not included in the report leaving the public some questions in their minds.24=80%6=20%

2. The news about different topics are being broadcast even if it is lacking newsworthiness.20=66.66%10=33.33%

3. Some news stories have words or terminologies that are hard to understand by most people.22=73.33%8=26.67%

4. Media gives importance to the news which people want to know not about what they need to know.25=83.33%5=16.66%

5. There are certain issues being aired/published continually by the mass media but are not very essential.28=93.33%2=6.66%

OVERALL23.8=79.33%6.2=20.66%

CONCLUSIONSIn light of the findings, the following conclusions were drawn.1. The profile of the respondents in terms of their gender entails that the respondents are mostly females.2. The profile of the respondents in terms of their occupation entails that the respondents were divided equally to students and professionals.3. The profile of the respondents in terms of their address entails that the respondents were mostly from Sta. Cruz, Laguna.4. The profile of the respondents in terms of their age entails that the respondents were ranging from 19-45 yrs. old.5. All of the respondents' preferred form of media to find news is television and TV Patrol of ABS-CBN Ch. 2 is their most preferred television news program.6. The respondents all did answered Yes which means they are aware that such problems are happening in the media industry.RECOMMENDATIONSIn light of the conclusions drawn from the findings, the following recommendation was drawn. 1. The researcher recommends that the public should double-check first the veracity of the information, whether it is about news or advertisements, which they absorb from the media. 2. The researcher also recommends that the media men must continue to do their public service by giving the people reliable news. 3. The researcher is also recommending that posting low-quality and unreliable news in the social media by the netizens should be stopped.