journalism as social institution

An institution can be seen as a sort of ‘super-custom’, a set of mores, folkways, and patterns of behavior that deals with major social interests; law, church, and family etc. Thus, a social institution consists of all the structural components of a society through which the main concerns and activities are organized, and social needs such as those for order, belief, and reproduction are met. The current concept of institution is more fluid, for instance, as comprising changing patterns of behavior based on relatively more stable value systems.
A social institution is an organization that is critical to the socialization process; it provides a support system for individuals as they struggle to become members of a larger social network. To illustrate, day care and kindergarten teachers focus the majority of their attention on “classroom management” skills, instructing students about how to stand in line and raise their hands when they want to talk in class. Institutions contribute to the stability of a society by maintaining an ongoing presence. In that sense, institutions are often tied to tradition. Social institutions such as the church maintain formalized practices and procedures. These rules apply to governance of the institution, including issues of leadership, membership, and dismissal from the institution. An institution is a relatively self-contained social system.Within the institution is found a large variety of social roles that are linked to authority relationships. An institution such as the family invites the lifelong involvement of the individual. Although the role of an individual may change within an institution during the course of his or her lifetime (e.g., from child to parent), the institution remains the same.
Membership in a group. - Providing access to groups, people. -Unifying diverse groups of people. - Establishing a sense of order. - Helping people contend with change.- .Defining success/failure. - Defining/Affirming values.- .Establishing rules of behavior. - Providing a sense of direction/purpose. - Furnishing role models. - Educating. - .Presenting information on past, present, and future. - Offering a safe haven to exchange ideas (within limits). - Offering a buffer from society. - Controlling deviant behavior.
- Gillen and Gillen “A social institution is a functional configuration of culture pattern (including actions, ideas, attitudes and cultural equipment) which processes certain permanence and which is intended to satisfy felt social needs”
Within this time, it can be argued that the journalism have emerged as a social institution, fulfilling many of the functions that are no longer being served by traditional social institutions such as the family, church, and school. Space constraints prohibit a full consideration of the ways in which the journalism fulfills the functions of a social institution discussed above. However, much has been written about the impact of the media on the socialization process. Increasingly, people look to the media for direction with respect to values and rules of behavior. Indeed, media programs such as the James Bond films can be regarded as guidebooks, furnishing directions on the proper ways to behave (and the rewards that go with this kind of behavior). In that sense, media programs convey messages about success, as well as the best ways to get there. And despite sports commentator protestations, media figures have emerged as societal role models, epitomizing standards of success that their fans strive to emulate.
Journalism supply people with membership in groups, defined by columns they read, products they buy. A person who reads editorial and sports page forms a virtual community or market that is readily exploited by advertisers. In that sense, the journalism unify diverse groups of people. The media as a whole provide a sense of order and stability in the lives of individuals. People arrange their daily routines around media activities, such as reading the morning newspaper, watching their favorite television programs, and checking their e-mail. As a result, the media have an enormous affect on the lifestyle of a culture dictating daily activities, language, and fashion.
But although the journalism furnishes a safe place for people to discuss media, these discussions operate within limits. To illustrate, in the United States, media critics stop short of suggesting radical changes such as conversion from a private ownership system to a state-run media ownership model. In addition, journalism provides indirect access to subcultures within a country, as well as indirect contact with other countries. But at the same time, journalism also acts as a buffer from society. News papers and magazines serve as a major form of escape and distraction from the pressures of everyday life. Countries in which the media are state owned (e.g., Vietnam and China) recognize the power of the media as a social institution. These governments use the media to support the political agenda of the government. “Official” state media content is very prescriptive, telling its audience what to think and how to act. In addition, in many of these countries, regulations prohibit content in media presentations that undermines the countries’ religious and moral beliefs. The major difference between Western media and traditional social institutions is that these media have no means of controlling deviant behavior. Audiences are encouraged to consume the media wherever and whenever possible. Indeed, many media presentations depict a world without consequences, which serves to promote aberrant behavior.
The press; the media; the fourth state have long been accused of having power without responsibility. They are able to make and break careers, and frequently do: newspapers for eg boast about uncovering misdeeds and forcing politicians to resign. A slightly more measured view of this power is the role that journalism plays in developing public opinion. Journalism not only reports on events, it shapes them too: something which is perhaps most obvious in politics. The political interview is a showcase for both the politician and journalist with occasionally startling results. In any cases the role of journalist is to test the knowledge and debating skills of the interviewees, to shape the public perception of them as politicians and perhaps, to test their suitability for office. The shaping of public opinion is also key to another branch of journalism i.e. criticism. The role of the critics is to offer an informed opinion on their subjects and in order to do so they are expected to be experts intheir own right. Within each field the most respected critics have a profound influence. Shows can fail to attract audiences and close after being slated by reviewers, whereas glowing reviews can draw in audiences making careers and fortunes for performers and producers. The critics are not just there to report, they are integral to the development of their subjects. Similarly financial journalists can have significant impact on businesses not just by reporting on the actions of a company, which can affect the price of its stock but by opining on stategy and the competence of business leaders, share tipsters in particular can cause considerable movement in share prices: a real effect in the real world. Just by reporting on a subject and interviewing people, a journalist can have an effect on the real world, on real lives.