E. J. Dionne is a Washington Post writer and professor of foundations of democracy and culture at Georgetown University. He delivered the annual A. N. Smith Lecture at the University of Melbourne a couple of nights ago.
Dionne, writing an op-ed piece, in yesterday's The Age, says:
"Individual journalists and news organisations can no longer think of themselves as fully the masters of their own house, since no one can control the definition of news."
And:
"The influence of mainstream journalism is also being challenged by other sources of information and opinion, including talk radio and the blogosphere.
It is not surprising that public disaffection with politics has evolved into dissatisfaction with the media. When the public's problem is with the content of the political debate, it is natural that the main medium through which that debate is carried out should be challenged.
The problems of the media are systemic. They are not merely the result of technological change or new fads, though both obviously play an important role."
Read the full piece here. A dimension of the media we don't often get to read.
Dionne, writing an op-ed piece, in yesterday's The Age, says:
"Individual journalists and news organisations can no longer think of themselves as fully the masters of their own house, since no one can control the definition of news."
And:
"The influence of mainstream journalism is also being challenged by other sources of information and opinion, including talk radio and the blogosphere.
It is not surprising that public disaffection with politics has evolved into dissatisfaction with the media. When the public's problem is with the content of the political debate, it is natural that the main medium through which that debate is carried out should be challenged.
The problems of the media are systemic. They are not merely the result of technological change or new fads, though both obviously play an important role."
Read the full piece here. A dimension of the media we don't often get to read.
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