Competition in Television

Paper Summary:

This paper examines two articles that discuss the effects of competition upon the production and presentation of television programs. The paper summarizes the articles' general arguments which both take critical views of "competitive ethics" as they impact the formulation of television shows and serials. The paper argues that both articles fail to fully appreciate the benefits of competition and asserts that competition ca also lead to greater innovation, to the development of a more accessible medium and to efforts to distribute information to as many people as possible.

From the Paper:

"Matthew Ehrlich's "The Competitive Ethos in Television News Work" is an excellent introduction into how the "sociology" or the culture of television news in America is shaped by a competitive mind-set that ultimately determines the kind of news that finds its way into the living-rooms of Americans each and every evening. For one thing, it would appear that Mr. Ehrlich is of the view that a zealous, competitive ethos in America's news rooms leads to shallow and homogenized journalism (this can be interpreted as "lowest-common-denominator" journalism) and to a less cooperative approach within the journalistic profession (208). It also appears as though he takes umbrage at the suggestion a "free market" news culture leads to better news and to the disclosure of "truth"."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cottle, Simon. "Producing Nature(s): On the Changing Production Ecology of Natural History TV." Media, Culture, and Society, 26.1 (2004): 81-101.
• Ehrlich, Matthew C. "The Competitive Ethos in Television News Work." Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 12 (1995): 196-212.

More papers on Competition in Television:

• Article Review # 129722 : "Industry Competition on Television Programs"
• Term Paper # 129503 : "Competition Among Cable Television Providers"
• Term Paper # 99341 : "Cable Television Providers"

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