Question

how dows news function as a commercial product?

Answer 1

According to some theories, "news" is the act or occupation of collecting and providing news whatever the news industry sells Journalism, broadly understood along the same lines. From a commercial point of view, news is simply one input, along with paper (or an electronic server) needed to prepare a finished product for delivery. When the news media are supposed to represent the public interest while generating income for their corporate owners, the outcome is always a conflict between capitalist and journalistic imperatives. The market system's amoral values contradict the moral agency of a free press, and the two are inherently incompatible. American mass media have become the corporate bottom line watchdog and defender, instead of the vanguard of democracy and the public interest .... Driven by profit maximization ... Instead of defending against government power violations by keeping the public adequately informed, they are complicit in destabilizing and weakening American democracy.

News is a commodity since it is produced by the public for consumption, and also with the intention of newspapers profiting from its production. News must be sold as newspaper companies are in business, moreover with the goal of making profit. Empirically the study is based on four case studies of cases where various newspapers have been referred to the Press Ombudsman in recent years for inaccurate reporting. In-depth interviews with key informants from the selected cases were conducted. In addition, a key source from the Press Ombudsman 's office was also consulted to provide more insight into the efficacy of the Press Code in governing the quality of news coverage as well as the problems facing newspapers in this regard. It is suggested that media digitisation raises the conflict between news output as a public-good vs. Media is an important pillar of democratic South Africa, as it provides news to ensure people are aware about issues that affect them and have the power to make decisions on matters of interest – i.e., a public good. Therefore, it is crucial that news is reported accurately and professionally, in accordance with the standards set by the Press Code. Newspapers face the challenge of maintaining a balance between delivering accurate news and adhering to the standards set out in the Press Code while also ensuring that they remain profitable – that is to say, news as a commodity.