Ian
priscilla 1Most Powerful News Outlets In The World
January 3rd 2011 01:19
Askmen.com (click the link above to view full article) have put together a list of the news agencies which have the most political and social influence on our world.
Below is an extract and a few top 10 agencies from the article.
"Today’s list of the most powerful news outlets considers the outlets that play a major role in forming the opinions of powerful people, and the people that vote for them. These are the outlets that shape opinion, as well as report news. The judgment is, by necessity, a little subjective. How do you measure something as intangible as influence?"
There can be few websites that have had such a profound impact on society in recent times -- breaking stories about (among other things) torture, and trying to expose other stories that many would prefer to remain hidden. The release of the Iraq War Logs was apparently described by the Pentagon as “the largest leak of classified documents in its history.” That one story alone has generated thousands of column inches, and suggestions of legal action and international investigations. For a website that was only launched in 2006, Wikileaks has rapidly become a game changer in political circles.
Al Jazeera is based in Qatar, and has courted controversy for its willingness to broadcast contentious content -- for example, airing video tapes purportedly from Osama Bin Laden. Al Jazeera also changed the landscape of news reporting in the Middle East, as previously many people were restricted to viewing state-controlled media outlets only. Subsequently, at least six other news stations have tried to imitate that model. It claims to be the only politically independent news network in the region, and has often challenged powerful nations -- evidenced by the way it reported U.S. operations during the war with Iraq in 2003.
The Huffington Post is seen as among the most influential blog and news websites in the world, often using experienced professional journalists to report its stories. With over 3,000 contributors, and regularly more than one million comments on its stories each month, The Huffington Post clearly has a large and active readership. Its creator, Arianna Huffington, was named by Forbes as one of the most influential women in the media world. As the internet continues to be a growing force in the media arena, it seems that outlets like The Huffington Post are set to increasingly rival more traditional sources for audiences.
CNN arguably transformed the way that news coverage takes place. Launched in 1980, it became the first channel to produce 24-hour rolling news coverage, a model that every major network in the world has sought to replicate. The international arm can be seen by viewers in 212 countries, giving it an enormous reach. Its coverage of the first Gulf War led to the Pentagon noting the “CNN Effect” -- acknowledging how much rolling news coverage has influenced government decision making. As the avant-garde in this field, CNN deserves to be recognized for its massive potency.
The British Broadcasting Corporation has over 23,000 employees, making it the largest broadcaster in the world. It also has a World Service arm, which in 2007 had almost 200 million radio listeners every week, and was accessible to almost 75% of the world’s capital cities. As a public service broadcaster, it has very strict rules on impartiality and bias, as well as being almost unique as a channel that has no commercials. With television, internet and radio services, the BBC is a true media giant, which for reach and influence, as well as its reputation as a trustworthy organization, is almost peerless around the world.
Below is an extract and a few top 10 agencies from the article.
"Today’s list of the most powerful news outlets considers the outlets that play a major role in forming the opinions of powerful people, and the people that vote for them. These are the outlets that shape opinion, as well as report news. The judgment is, by necessity, a little subjective. How do you measure something as intangible as influence?"
Wikileaks
Al Jazeera
The Huffington Post
CNN
BBC
| 21 |
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