Progressive Nation

Issue date: 9/30/09 Section: Opinion

Opponents of the bills also cite the bills' potential political impacts once they become law. Though cross-ownership is prevalent in other countries such as Japan and Italy, Korean journalists tend to be much more openly partisan in their reporting, and even broadcasting channels remain distinctly partisan. Different owners, especially foreign corporations and domestic big business, will have their own agenda and political allegiances, and their expanded influence will in turn reshape the political power gradient, most likely in their favor. "In South Korea, journalism is still a stage of partisanism and populism," Kim Min-Hwan, professor of journalism at Korea University, explains. Considering that the large business conglomerates are the conservative interests that the broadcast channels were against, liberals argue that coverage will become skewed to favor conservative business interests and the incumbent government, removing the liberal bloc in the media.

Like many arguments over freedom of the press, the issue seems to be where to draw the line between free competition and government control. Regardless of whether it is the government or private organizations that control the major Korean media outlets, monopolistic practices or excess partisanship can lead to oppression of objectivity and diversity of opinion. Amidst the worldwide decline in newspaper readership due to the rise of the internet, it is critical for the newspaper and television to provide the reliability that the internet cannot yet guarantee, and moreover ensure quality, variety, and most importantly objectivity through an appropriate balance between competition and regulation.

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