What is gatekeeping in relation to media?

Gatekeeping in relation to media refers to the selection and control of information that is presented to the public. This process involves individuals, organizations, or systems making decisions about which stories, topics, or information are deemed important enough to be shared, and which are not. The gatekeeping function plays a critical role in shaping public perception and discourse by influencing what people are aware of and how they understand various issues.

This selection process can occur at multiple levels, including news organizations deciding which articles to publish, editors influencing the framing of stories, or social media algorithms determining which posts are visible to users. The implications of gatekeeping can be significant, impacting the diversity of perspectives that audiences are exposed to and potentially biasing the information landscape.

In contrast, the other choices do not fully capture this specific concept: creating media content relates to production, promoting diverse perspectives speaks to representation and inclusion but doesn’t address the filtering aspect, and evaluating media content by the audience refers to reception rather than the initial selection process.