Yes, it’s hard enough getting through material of any complexity in 10 short weeks. Trying to come out the other end with the happy part is, alas, what tends to suffer. But if you perceive some serious problems with news media and the state of commercial journalism, remember that a diagnosis of the problems is probably a sound way to start identifying approaches to solving them, and realizing that underneath the cynical exterior lies hope, and possibilities for individuals as citizens, as consumers, and as voters. It starts with paying attention, to how commercial media operate–news or not–and the imperative to identify and attract an audience with some sort of market-tested bait, and sell that audience to companies–usually very large ones (at least they’re by far the most influential over content)–who hire advertising firms whose job it is to increase consumption of their clients’ wares. Doesn’t sound like much of a place for idealistic journalists, does it (they’re likely to have to resist the temptation of jaded cynicism more quickly than you)?

• An understanding of some of the problems
  • Ownership concentration (is it a problem? If so, how?)
  • Commercial pressures–for instance? The ‘structure / agency’ debate and journalistic ethics
  • TV as the popular medium of political discourse
  • Social media as quickly overtaking TV (there is a demographic split still, age-based)
  • Propaganda, persuasion–is the public equipped to distinguish between attempts to persuade, and to inform?
  • Money and politics–campaign financing, conflicts of interest
  • More generally, money’s corrupting influence on news and democracy and a free press
• What to do?
  • As an individual (consumer, citizen)
    • consumption choices
    • electoral choices
    • critical thinking–evaluating information, arguments, sourcing, commercial conflicts, persuasion efforts
    • education . . . (from where?), media literacy
    • Pierce and ‘Idiot America’–if you leave democracy to the ‘experts,’ whoever they are, don’t be surprised if you can’t recognize it (and don’t be surprised is media can’t be relied upon to provide true, selfless expertise)
    • Those simple, yet effective rules: avoid TV as source of news; avoid reliance on any one source for news; include non-commercial sources; include international sources
  • the Structural side
    • ‘media monopoly’ (public, non-profit, non-commercial, and commercial choices)
    • government as watchdog, or fox guarding the henhouse? Independence of government regulation (would be nice …)
    • political campaigns, democracy–how do we elect officials?
    • legal issues (e.g., the use of the 14th amendment to establish ‘corporate personhood‘)
    • regulation of advertising (or would it be more useful to help the public understand advertising as pure propaganda)?