State Of The Media Blog Posts
A (Neglected) Duty to Inform
With the widespread closure of international bureaus, and serious underfunding of those that remain open, American coverage of world affairs nears an all-time low. Today, the mainstream U.S. media often seems precariously close to preaching an official reality and severely restricting the average media consumer’s view of the world.
Jonathan Lethem’s most recent novel, Chronic City, parodies a New York City so exhausted by Iraq reports that the leading newspaper (a thinly-veiled New York Times) is compelled to produce a “War-free edition.” Although Iraq- and Afghanistan-fatigue is perhaps inevitable by this point, one could argue that democracy elevates staying informed to a civic responsibility.
Staying Optimistic as a Journalism Student
When I walked into my arts reporting class, statistics from the latest "State of the Media" report were written on the whiteboard like an epitaph on a tombstone.
“That’s depressing,” one classmate said in a defeated tone. My professor, Sasha Anawalt, director of the USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program and former dance critic for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, turned around with a grin on her face. The statistics were, in fact, uplifting news. “Wanna know why?” Anawalt asked our confused class.
Change the Channels
Check out the interactive map to see consolidating newsrooms near you.
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