Chapter 6: "Mass Media In a Democratic Society: Keeping a Promise"

March 12th, 2014
To think how far the media has progressed over the past century, decade, years, and even months is mind-blowing. The cliche phrase, "instantaneous information at the touch of our fingertips" is often overused, but for good and obvious reason; it accurately defines the current level for which modern technology has reached. Perhaps even crazier, is how much of an effect this type of technology and media has on our country's political sector. Even MORE, is how much journalists have an effect on what we hear and how we hear it. I've never thought of it like this before, but the American society truly places full responsibility in the hands of the journalists and reporters who give us our information. As the chapter emphasizes in its' discussion of the radical, monitorial, facilitative, and collaborative roles, the media has multiple roles for ways of behaving! So we don't just trust them with one thing, but with many - granted that they are utilizing such normative roles. It's somewhat alarming in a sense, because we are so quick to accept what we are told. And why wouldn't we be? It's news, we say, how can someone screw up the facts? But what many people don't realize, is that a journalist's job is not all that easy - it comes with liabilities, tough ethical and situational decisions, uncomfortable situations, taking into account the people they use to report and the people reading or listening at home, and the responsibility to give people their news. The fact that it's not an easy job is something I've come to realize the further I get into reading this book. One of my favorite quotes from the chapter that best emphasizes this fact comes from page 147, "Journalists covering a national election have almost as much at stake as the candidates they cover." Frankly, that is just incredible to me. I guess I never truly thought about how much a reporter or journalist has at stake when covering events that are deemed crucial to society. What I really liked about this chapter (maybe because I'm a political junkie), was how deeply it explored the various sectors of what goes into (and comes out of) politics and the role the media plays in it. This chapter really and truly got me thinking about not only the collaboration of media and politics, but the fundamental qualities that form the basis of democracy and its role in society.