Public interest,media neglect

“Public interest journalism” is in mortal danger, argues Moore, director of the Media Standards Trust. “The threats come from four directions”, he writes, “ – from an untrusting Government no longer convinced of the value of the fourth estate; from increasingly powerful and image conscious corporations; from a bombarded and bewildered public; and from a media that is failing to live up to its public interest responsibilities.” The media is also failing to explain, inform and analyse, he believes: “In the increasingly cutthroat and competitive media environment, news outlets are choosing to emphasise the subjective, the personal, the emotional and the sensational.” He concludes: “If genuine public interest journalism is to have a future, it has to be promoted and nurtured – and this will not happen until people recognise the extent of the danger we face.”