I found the required books for this course really,
really interesting, especially the Space
of Public Opinion and Nobody. The progression of the media’s reporting and
commenting about current news has changed so much with the advent of the
internet. It seemed like everyone tuned
into the nightly network news when I was a kid, but not I don’t really hear
anyone talking about last night’s broadcasts.
I can say that I don’t even know the names of the 3 major networks
evening broadcasters. We’ve switched
from trusting a knowledgeable news journalist or two to trusting sound bites provided
by basically anyone with a Twitter account. But honestly, what will stick with
me the most about the class is Hill’s book, Nobody.
Hill makes it so apparent that our country has done a lousy job of caring
for and providing opportunities for the most vulnerable. It’s an overwhelming reality that has absolutely
no easy solution. I only hope that our leaders and future leaders dedicate themselves
to creating solutions and that the rest of us will do our part to embrace and share
the American values we’ve all grown up to believe in.
Regardless of the issue being discussed, it sure seems like Economics and Political Science have been the most thoroughly represented disciplines in the media, at least since 2008 and the Great Recession. It’s hard to blame the media for such a focus because it seems like that’s what most viewers want to hear about. Of course the financial health of the country and its citizens will always be a hot topic, and between the auto industry’s near collapse, the banking/mortgage fiasco, and subsequent high unemployment levels all coinciding with the beginning of Obama’s presidency, the media always had relevant economic news to cover. And since the government became heavily involved in each of those crises, political commentary proved of equal interest. Add to that the partisan shenanigans that exploded with Obama’s presidency, which have shown no signs of slowing down, and the media continues to have persistent political news to cover and analyze by bringing on political intellec...
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