FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF MEDIA
Channel: Vincent Gonzaga
Date: 2023-01-28

Some call the media as the sword arm of democracy as it can act as watchdog protecting public interest against any oppression, and it also creates awareness. The media's aim therefore should be to facilitate to people an understanding on issues relevant to their lives so they can participate in their community and the country. 
Given the media's reach and its power over information, it can play a very crucial role in the discussion of issues. When reporters and editors choose what to report and how to report it, they immediately filter information and thereby significantly impact how issues are portrayed. Therefore, it is imperative to know the foundational principles in the creation of media – its scope, its influence on decision-makers and its influence on communities. 
According to Turow (2009) in Media Today: An introduction to Mass Communication, we need to understand media under the following premises with its corresponding principle in shorthand: