Why do the media rely on government and business “experts” for information?
As Herman and Chomsky stress, basic economics explains why the mass media “are drawn into a symbiotic relationship with powerful sources of information” as well as “reciprocity of interest.” The media need “a steady, reliable flow of raw material of news. They have daily news demands and imperative news schedules that they must meet.” They cannot afford to have reporters and cameras at all locations and so economics “dictates that they concentrate their resources where significant news often occurs.” [p. 18] This means that bottom-line considerations dictate that the media concentrate their resources where news, rumours and leaks are plentiful, and where regular press conferences are held. The White House, Pentagon, and the State Department, in Washington, D.C., are centres of such activity on a national scale, while city hall and police departments are their local equivalents. In addition, trade groups, businesses and corporations also provide regular stories that are deemed as newswo
