HOW INFORMATION MEDIA HAS AFFECTED AMERICAN CULTURE

Imagine you are a news editor. You have been asked to respond to an online discussion thread regarding how information media has affected American culture.

Answer the following questions in 100 to 150 words each (you may make this a Q&A presentation but it still requires APA formatting and cover page):

• Do the news and information media have an obligation to be socially responsibile, or is it expendable in the name of the greater good? Please justify your answer.
• What is the role of the information and news media in the shaping of political opinions? What ethics should be applied by media in political reporting?
• How have electronic media and their convergence transformed journalism and news consumption?
• How are standards in journalism still relevant and important in today’s media, opinion, and media-saturated world?
• What role does satire have in the news today? How have programs and websites such as The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Onion provided a separate space for commentary on the news and news providers? Do they contribute to political understanding or are they biased to one political perspective and therefore might serve to mislead?
• Fake news is reporting in mainstream media that proves to be untrue, usually with unnamed sources. Provide some actual examples from mainstream media (not blogs or social media) during the past two or three years. (Clue: there are examples at the end of one of the PowerPoints.) Is fake news a legitimate journalistic tool? Why or why not?

Illustrate your responses with specific examples.