Discussion

On November 27th, 2007, I attended a discussion on Contemporary Issues hosted by the Certificate of International Journalism. The panel consisted of many different members of the media and academia, including: Susan Albright, Roger Buoen, Alina Oxendine, Gary Hill, and moderator David Hudson.

The panel began by discussing the separation between news and editorials in the media. Traditionally, the media were kept separate from editorials and opinions of the same media. However, the new media (predominantly the Internet) do not divide these two aspects as much as the old media, and because of this, there has become a blending of opinion and news. Some of the panel members explained that decreases in newspaper readers have driven many people to cable and the net for their news, which do not have the same separation as the past.

The panel next discussed what changes may happen to journalism with the shift to new media. The panel explained that online journalism isn't really existent yet. What they were talking about is the fact that most online journalists do not report original reports, but rather, they provide commentary in a secondary role. The panel came to the conclusion that it is too early to tell what changes will happen to journalism in this new age of media. However, it was noted that the new media do allow people to access information in an easier fashion.

The next question was concerned with how researchers analyze the impact of the news media on the world. The panelists explained that surveys and experiments, especially public opinion surveys, to analyze the media. The panel also stressed the fact that media affect voters! This is done through agenda setting and the promotion of political cynicism by the news media.

The panel next explored whether or not journalists feel power. One panelists explained that media endorsements to politicians play a key role in our political atmosphere. This is especially true in "lower down" races, such as school board, city council and mayor elections. One panelist promoted the belief that the media have a huge effect on the public. People make decisions on emotions, and because of this, media can affect people. However, it was noted that the media decision makers don't really think about this anymore. The media leaders have been trying to keep their audiences, and in doing so, don't really think about what influences they have on the public.

The next topic discussed was "media and politics." The panel explained that the media have covered conflict and the horse race over issues. Because of this, many politicians try to avoid "fighting words," which basically are lines that can be used as quotes in the media. It was also noted that the political system is broken. However, the panel did not conclude whether or not the media played a role in this destruction.

The last question was whether or not the media are held to a standard. The panelists concluded that traditional media are, however, the new media are not. What was noted is that most people know which sources are credible and which are not, and because of this, the public contributes to this standard.

I would also like to note that some time was spent on media conglomerates and who owns the media. The most interesting things said was that families used to own the media, however, most of those families have been bought out. About five companies own most of the media throughout our country. This has a huge affect on the media. Most of the family owners were concerned with providing a respectable, credible and dependable source for people to get their information. Things like celebrities, fashion, gossip and the material world were never really discussed. However, when news corporations took over, they became concerned with making more money. Because of the fact that sex sells, previous unimportant things became important in the media. This could be one possible explanation of why the media has become a "compilation of junk."

As for my overall evaluation of this discussion, I was pretty satisfied with how it went. The panel was composed with many different experienced people who have experience with the media. It was interesting to hear their experience and views on the world. I was also happy that the audience was allowed to question the panel. That was a good idea. I think that the next panel should be devoted to discussing how to get more young people involved in politics. This is a huge issue in our country, and I think that it needs to be brought center stage.