Posted on 11/17/2004 10:14:39 AM PST by Cableguy
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean '71, a former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, spoke Tuesday at Yale about the shortcomings of today's print media and the importance of an ethical media in a working democracy.
In the symposium, titled "The Media and the Election: A Postmortem," Dean stressed corporate ownership of the media and the increased focus on entertainment as problems with today's media, and he emphasized the importance of diversity and regulation in fixing these problems. Panelists Evan Thomas, an assistant managing editor for Newsweek, and Martin Nolan, a political reporter and editor of The Boston Globe's editorial page, defended the media's integrity and objectivity.
"The media is a failing institution in this country," Dean said. "They are not maintaining their responsibility to maintain democracy."
One of the major problems Dean focused on during the talk is the media's increased focus on entertainment at the expense of investigative journalism.
"The Monica Lewinsky scandal exploded," Dean said, "and suddenly the way to get to the top [in media] was salacious gossip and sex scandals. There is no investigative journalism worthy of the name."
The television networks, especially Fox News, are most to blame for the increased focus in journalism on flash and entertainment, Dean said. Dean said these networks aim to entertain because "entertainment sells better than news." The infamous "scream speech," often blamed for Dean's loss to Sen. John Kerry '66 in the Democratic primaries, was partially a media fabrication because it was appealing for its entertainment value rather than its newsworthiness, Dean said.
"The media is trained to get the entertainment value and screw the facts," he said.
But Thomas said entertainment in the media is a necessary tool to attract the public.
"You do need to entertain a little bit," Thomas said. "You get people to read about serious issues by -- putting a [famous] person on the cover."
During the discussion, Dean said the media has almost completely lost its objectivity.
"You can't read a piece of newsprint very often in this country without being told what to think," he said.
Nolan defended the media against Dean's claims of bias, and Thomas said while there is a slight liberal bias in the media, reporters generally search for objectivity.
The solution to restoring an ethical media, Dean said, is to ensure diversity and cap corporate ownership of media outlets. He said he supports government regulation of media ownership.
"[The media] are incapable of regulating themselves," Dean said. "What's at stake is our democracy. If you think that American democracy can survive without an ethical media, then you are wrong."
Dean received a standing ovation and an enthusiastic response from the audience. Approximately 200 members of the Yale community attended the symposium.
Many students said they agreed with Dean's comments.
"Dean was spot-on," Aaron Ring '08 said. " He talked about [the media] as being entertainment and just profit-seeking, and he's absolutely right."
Tuesday night's symposium was the third in a series organized by political science professor Stanley Flink, who teaches the course "Ethics and the Media."
Yep, Dean's red underbelly is showing again.
SoreLoserman, Jr.
How Fox News comes close to resembling a monopoly was never explianed by The Screamster.
He looks pretty good for 71.
Yeah, that's the ticket. George Bush's appointees should be licensing CBS. What a dope.
The End of World is Imminent:
I AGREE with HOWARD DEAN.
I could not find a single statement that I disagree with.
That is tragic! Because the conventional wisdom says that if BOTH sides hate the same 'media' then they must be doing something right.
However, we know that is NOT the case.
So we must have come to the edge of known Universe where Howard Dean and I agree.
They don't call them "DEANIACS" for nothin!
I agree that we need an ethical media. Let's start by cleaning house over at CBS.
These are the folks who label us "fascists."
But, but, he never mentioned Dan Rather, cBS, missing explosives, or any of that.
Must've slipped his mind.
"Thomas said while there is a slight liberal bias in the media, reporters generally search for objectivity"
Thomas is deaf, blind or stupid to make a comment like this. Dean is a leftist moron too.
Witness the current flap over a marine killing a terrorist compared to John Kerry worshipped as a decorated hero for doing same.
Like all the rest of the complaints of the left, I can only say: "So?"
"The media is trained to get the enertainment value.." And they sure got their money's worth covering him.HAHAHAHAHA!
"Because the rest of the media is OK with telling people what we want them to hear," Dean added. "Why screw with something that's worked for 70 years." /sarcasm
This I agree with. All the news outlets are so concerned with either entertaining us (FOX) or influencing us (ABCCBSNBC) that rarely do they ever investigate a story and report the facts. The political debate shows are fine entertainment and they're everywhere but does anybody do investigative journalism without a political agenda anymore? Or did they ever?
Don't tell me you agree that the Government should regulate the Media? I also agree with some things he says. But I would rather deal with it than have the Government "fix" it.
Like NPR
I agree with the first part of this statement but the second part is absurd. It is not the media's responsibility to maintain democracy it is the people's responsibility.
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