Max Weber - Politics as a Vocation

          However much esteemed and highly regarded as a classic work of political science, Max Weber’s Politics as a Vocation, was interesting in its own intensity and at times a slow read in terms of trying to comprehend and or imagine the context of his lecture/writing in the given time period.  The following passages caught my attention in terms of Weber’s interpretations of how the journalist and or even the press media are “the most important representatives of the” demagogues. (Weber, p.11).  Politics and Press go together but for who's benefit?

          Modern demagoguery also makes use of oratory, even to a tremendous extent, if one considers the election speeches a modern candidate has to deliver.  But the use of the printed word is more enduring. The political publicist, and above all the journalist, is nowadays the most important representative of the demagogic species. . .

          

          It is almost never acknowledged that the responsibility of the journalist is far greater, and that the sense of responsibility of every honorable journalist is, on the average, not a bit lower than that of the scholar, but rather, as the war has shown, higher. This is because, in the very nature of the case, irresponsible journalistic accomplishments and their often terrible effects are remembered.

          Nobody believes that the discretion of any able journalist ranks above the average of other people, and yet that is the case. . . Naturally every politician of consequence has needed influence over the press and hence has needed relations with the press. . .

          Politicians aside, those wishing to be in positions of leadership often acquire or find the need to involve journalistic work praising their positivity while assuring the public all the while the press media following suit with sensationalism to gain not only readership but reader interest which in mass can sway the readers opinions.

          Interestingly enough, I thought of the media mogul William Hearst in America during this similar time period that used his powers of influence over press and media companies he owned for his own political gains.  Hearst made possible and affordable for the immigrants, the poor and the working class to read his sensationalized newspapers – he believed media was for the masses.  However, documentaries of Hearst also indicated that he created headlines and sensationalized and at times fabricated news stories – he would have a woman faint in the street, have the ambulance called and the woman taken to the hospital in an attempt to create local news stories.  Hearst used his press to leverage against competition, discredit individuals at his whim if he disliked someone and even ruining someone’s reputation – Orson Wells who starred in the movie Citizen Kane gained notable controversy because the movie was a portrayal of then powerful media mogul William Hearst.  I surmise Weber recalled this type of behavior with people of power in using the press media to deliver to the masses for their support of achieving their next prospective seat of power, that, “irresponsible journalistic accomplishments and their often terrible effects are remembered.” (Weber, p.11).

Thus far, the journalist has had favorable chances only in the Social Democratic party. Within the party, editorial positions have been predominantly in the nature of official positions, but editorial positions have not been the basis for positions of leadership.

In the bourgeois parties, on the whole, the chances for ascent to political power along this avenue have rather become worse, as compared with those of the previous generation.

One last thing I’d like to add about the above caption; Weber’s brief introduction touching on the subject of possible censorship within the ‘state’ or political party – that editorial positions correspond to official positions.  Sensationalism or ‘yellow journalism’ which may have worked in previous generations much like how Hearst behaved on the whole, will not work.  

Although journalists may be put on a pedestal, they are in a position of a greater responsibility and as Weber somewhat sarcastically pointed out and referenced Alfred Harmsworth, “’Lord, Northcliffe’” who exercised massive influence over the British popular opinion especially during the time of war using advertising almost as propaganda - “The advertising business is also the avenue along which, during the war, the attempt was made to influence the press politically . . .”

          I ponder how much press freedom there were; press freedom in America endured countless court battles until recently as the 20th century, yet still to this date you hear around the world deaths and murders of journalists.