Parents, of course, are accountable. Many children are blessed with good nurturing and guidance. But parents, in general, are also influenced by the media. Child rearing tends to be materially overindulgent and deficient in teaching and setting limits. All of this is reflected in school.
Accountability goes further.
The major broadcast networks are indisputably the chief architects of pop culture, and they are the viewing public's unquestioned authority on what counts. They've re-created the nation's values and norms in their own image, increasingly barbarizing them to get the attention of jaded viewers in a fiercely competitive ratings climate. It should trouble us greatly that major network production aims so low. Its fleeting segments segue into ear-splitting and hyperactive commercials. This is cynical stuff, a far cry from genuine story telling that touches the heart and stirs thought.