THE MEDIA AND NATIONAL CRISES

The Future of the American News Media and Efforts to Improve Them

Objectives

nTo understand impact of the media on presidencies from Ford to Bush.

nTo understand the changing values of journalists.

nTo understand the impact of news media on the future of democracy.

An Era of Deception

nThe power of the journalists, especially broadcast journalists, clashed with the power of the presidency.

An Era of Deception

nFord’s Pardon of Richard Nixon 

nCarter’s Energy and Iranian Crises

nReagan’s War on Grenada and Arms for Hostages

nBush and the New World Order

nClinton’s Sexual Tryst and Tabloidization of News

nBush and Terrorism

An Era of Deception

nFord’s Pardon of Richard Nixon

An Era of Deception

nCarter’s Energy and Iranian Crises

An Era of Deception

nReagan’s War on Grenada and Arms for hostages

An Era of Deception

nBush and the New World Order

An Era of Deception

nClinton’s Sexual Tryst and Tabloidization of News

Impact of Era of Deception on Journalism

n Transition of press from

Impact of Era of Deception on Journalism

nGrowth of “gotcha journalism”

Impact of Era of Deception on Journalism

nRise of pack journalism and the jackal syndrome

Impact of Era of Deception on Politics

n Rise of  by politicians

Impact of Era of Deception on Politics

n Proliferation of negative reporting by journalists

Impact of Era of Deception on Public

n Voters no longer participate in the 

    electoral process

Impact of Era of Deception on Democracy

n Cynicism of media contributes to the deterioration of American democracy

Challenges of News Media in a Computer Age

nAnybody produce news on web

nNeat, clean news cycles are gone

nAll communications is global

nMatt Drudges of the world unite

nCredibility at issue

nFirst Amendment is being re-examined

Your Challenges in the Computer Age

n Time honored principles which still apply in the new communications environment

nHonesty

nIntegrity

nDecency

American Media History

nThe Press in Early America

n1690-1833

nColonial Press

nRevolutionary Press

nParty Press

American Media History

nNew Politics and Press for the Masses

n 1833-1865

nThe Penny Press

nCivil War Press

American Media History

nThe Age of New Journalism

n1865-1900

nStory Journalism of Pulitzer and Hearst

nMagazines, Muckraking and PR

 

American Media History

nNew Media, New Political Agenda

n1900-1950

nAmerican Film

nRadio and Its Promise

American Media History

nTV and Politics in the 20^th Century

n1950-Present

nThe Nixon Years: Vietnam

nThe Nixon Years: Watergate

nPost-Watergate: TV and the Presidency

American Media History

nWhen a nation goes down…or a society perishes, one condition may always be found.  They forgot where they came from.  They lost sight of what had brought them along.”

                                                                                              Carl Sandburg

American Media History

§“You can’t possibly know  where you are going if you don’t know where you have been.”

Ken Burns

Your Challenge

nTo take your place in your  generation, to play it fairly and squarely and move on to the shadows leaving something better than you found.

And That’s The Way It Was!

American Media History

Goodbye and Good Luck!