There was once a bipartisan consensus that media power had to be regulated if democracy were to survive.
- Professor of Media Studies, Penn State
Hollywood has seen this movie before.
Corporate-controlled, political infotainment makes up the bulk of AM radio programming. But there was a time when these stations were more attuned to the needs of the community.
As the journalism industry continues to crater, wealthy plutocrats are consolidating their control over information systems.
As ‘The Jerry Springer Show’ climbed the ratings ladder, the censorship bleep, which masked the slew of insults lobbed by warring guests, became a star of the show.
Today it’s smart technology that will defend drivers and pedestrians. Over a century ago, it was the Klaxon horn.
When an attention-based media system always allows the noise-makers to dominate the conversation, it becomes impossible to hear the full range of voices and views.
The accusation of bias is like kryptonite for responsible news organizations: the stronger their piety to the ideal of objectivity, the more vulnerable they are to complaints made in bad faith.
The motion picture industry has endured a pandemic before. But the coronavirus may completely upend the old way of doing business.
Studios have endured pandemics and the threat of home viewing before. Will the current crisis lead to disaster or opportunity?
For the rest of us, it’s another sign of the country’s eroding media and political landscape.
Is noise the real monster? Or is it our own intolerance of unwanted sounds?
The practice of calling attention to false stories – with actual fakers then levying the charge on their accusers – dates back to battles between progressive reformers and corporate media outlets.
Lies, Twitter bots and sensation reign in the era of for-profit digital media.
Debates used to be a public service. Now they’re akin to the WWE – a blend of fiction and reality, with the candidates and networks all adhering to the same script.
By avoiding major cineplexes and going straight to Netflix subscribers, the critically acclaimed Beasts of No Nation is wading into some uncharted waters.
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