Media Debates: Great Issues for the Digital Age (with InfoTrac)
Preface. About the Authors. Introduction. 1. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. Challenge - Dennis: Press freedom is not a settled issue. Response - Merrill: Press freedom is mostly a settled issue. 2. MEDIA?GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP. Challenge - Merrill: The media and government should not be adversaries. Response - Dennis: The media and government should be adversaries. 3. MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY. Challenge - Dennis: The media should be more democratic. Response - Merrill: The media need not be more democratic. 4. CONCENTRATION OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP. Challenge - Dennis: The new concentration of media ownership ultimately benefits the public. Response - Merrill: Concentration of ownership is dangerous for people and society. 5. MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC TRUST. Challenge - Merrill: The media exist mainly to make profits. Response - Dennis: The media must serve the public interest and make profits. 6. THE RIGHT TO KNOW. Challenge - Dennis: There is no right to know. Response - Merrill: There is a right to know. 7. MEDIA BIAS AND POLITICAL LEANINGS. Challenge - Dennis: The news media are not biased. Response - Merrill: The news media are biased. 8. MEDIA, POLITICS AND ELECTIONS. Challenge - Merrill: The media cover, but don?t control elections. Response - Dennis: The media influence?and often control?elections. 9. PUBLIC OPINION AND THE POLLS. Challenge - Dennis: The media structure and shape public opinion through polls. Response - Merrill: Polls in the media mainly report on public sentiment. 10. DECIDING WHAT?S NEWS. Challenge - Dennis: Market forces, not editors? judgments, should decide what is news. Response - Merrill: Editors? judgments, not market forces, should decide what is news. 11. MEDIA ETHICS. Challenge - Merrill: Journalists and other media people are essentially unethical. Response - Dennis: Journalists and other media people are essentially ethical. 12. JOURNALISTIC OBJECTIVITY. Challenge - Merrill: Journalistic objectivity is not possible. Response - Dennis: Journalistic objectivity is possible. 13. CIVIC/PUBLIC JOURNALISM. Challenge - Merrill: Civic or public journalism is a healthy trend for the media. Response - Dennis: Civic or public journalism is an unhealthy trend for the media. 14. DIGITAL STRATEGIES?THE INTERNET AND NEW MEDIA. Challenge - Merrill: The Internet and new media are debasing journalism. Response - Dennis: The Internet and new media are strengthening journalism. 15. RACE, ETHNICITY AND GENDER. Challenge - Dennis: Diversity needs rethinking and reassessment. Response - Merrill: Diversity does not need rethinking and reassessment. 16. WAR, TERRORISM AND NATIONAL EMERGENCIES. Challenge - Dennis: News should be mostly unconstrained, even during wars and national emergencies. Response - Merrill: News media should be constrained, under some circumstances, during wars and national emergencies. 17. JOURNALISM IS A PROFESSION. Challenge - Merrill: Journalism is not a profession. Response - Dennis: Journalism is a profession. 18. ADVERTISING. Challenge - Merrill: Advertising is a negative social force. Response - Dennis: Advertising is a positive social force. 19. PUBLIC RELATIONS. Challenge - Dennis: Public relations manipulates the news. Response - Merrill: Public relations provides an essential news service. 20. GLOBALIZATION AND THE MEDIA. Challenge - Dennis: Globalization greatly benefits people, the media and freedom of expression. Response - Merrill: Globalization harms national and local media thus impairing freedom of expression. Media Debates Web Resources. Index.