COMMON THREADS
One of the Common Threads discussed in Chapter 1 is the role that media play in a democracy. Today, one of the major concerns is the proliferation of news sources. How well is our society being served by this trend—
Historians, media critics, citizens, and even many politicians argue that a strong democracy is only possible with a strong, healthy, skeptical press. In the old days, a few legacy or traditional media—
In today’s online and 24/7 cable world, though, the legacy media have ceded some of their power and many of their fact-
The case before us then goes something like this: In the old days, the major news media provided us with reports and narratives to share, discuss, and argue about. But in today’s explosion of news and information, that common ground has eroded or is shifting. Instead, today we often rely only on those media sources that match our comfort level, cultural values, or political affiliations; increasingly these are blog sites, radio talk shows, or cable channels. Sometimes these opinion sites and channels are not supported with the careful fact-
So in today’s media environment, how severely have technological and cultural transformations undermined the common-
KEY TERMS
The definitions for the terms listed below can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. The page numbers listed with the terms indicate where the term is highlighted in the chapter.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Modern Journalism in the Information Age
What are the drawbacks of the informational model of journalism?
What is news?
Explain the values shift in journalism today from a more detached or neutral model to a more partisan or assertion model.
Ethics and the News Media
How do issues such as deception and privacy present ethical problems for journalists?
Why is getting a story first important to reporters?
What are the connections between so-
Reporting Rituals and the Legacy of Print Journalism
Why have reporters become so dependent on experts?
Why do many conventional journalists (and citizens) believe firmly in the idea that there are two sides to every story?
Journalism in the Age of TV and the Internet
How is credibility established in TV news as compared with print journalism?
With regard to TV news, what are sound bites and happy talk?
What roles are pundits now playing in 24/7 cable news?
In what ways has the Internet influenced traditional forms of journalism?
Alternative Models: Public Journalism and “Fake” News
What is public journalism? In what ways is it believed to make journalism better?
What are the major criticisms of the public journalism movement, and why do the mainstream national media have concerns about public journalism?
What role do satirical news programs like SNL’s “Weekend Update,” The Daily Show, and Last Week Tonight play in the world of journalism?
Democracy and Reimagining Journalism’s Role
What is deliberative democracy, and what does it have to do with journalism?
QUESTIONING THE MEDIA
What are your main criticisms of the state of news today? In your opinion, what are the news media doing well?
If you were a reporter or an editor, would you quit voting in order to demonstrate your ability to be neutral? Why or why not?
Is the trend toward opinion-
Is there political bias in front-
How would you go about formulating an ethical policy with regard to using deceptive means to get a story?
For a reporter, what are the dangers of both detachment from and involvement in public life?
Do satirical news programs make us more cynical about politics and less inclined to vote? Why or why not?
What steps would you take to make journalism work better in a democracy?
LAUNCHPAD FOR MEDIA & CULTURE
REVIEW WITH LEARNINGCURVE LearningCurve, available on LaunchPad for Media & Culture, uses gamelike quizzing to help you master the concepts you need to learn from this chapter.
VIDEO: THE OBJECTIVITY MYTH Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Clarence Page and Onion editor Joe Randazzo explore how objectivity began in journalism and how reporter biases may nonetheless influence news stories.