The history of America’s news media and what went wrong

[Thaddeus]

http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2015/01/12/the-history-of-americas-news-media-and-what-went-wrong/

Newspapers are struggling with circulation and many are folding. New online news media outlets also haven’t found ways to make revenue. A handful of corporations control America’s media system. This is the troubled landscape that VICTOR PICKARD writes about in his new book America’s Battle for Media Democracy: the Triumph of Corporate Libertarianism and the Future of Media Reform. Pickard, an assistant professor in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, traces the roots of this crisis back to decisions made in the first half of the 20th century that favored corporate interests over the public interest. Marty talks with Pickard about this history and what it means for the future of journalism and the values of democracy. - See more at: http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2015/01/12/the-history-of-americas-news-media-and-what-went-wrong/#sthash.tlSWwITb.dpuf

[onecaliberal]

1. End consolidation. Break up corp ownership.

Have a very strict truth and fact policy. Prosecute liars with prison.

[on point]

2. Restore limit on media outlet ownership, restore equal time laws

[Thaddeus]

3. Good ideas

I make the case in the book that we need structural reforms that focus on questions of media ownership and control. We also need to create public alternatives (an expanded public media system, non-profit news outlets, community broadband networks, etc.).