Walter Lippmann’s quote is an accurate description of the journalism field of his generation but this quote would not apply to the field of newspapers and the journalism field in general today. The first part of the statement is extremely accurate in describing the news in the manner that this information is trying to persuade the papers audience in a certain way through these various methods. The latter half of Lippmann’s quote which describes the job of tasking and ordering is where his idea starts to wane. In the 1920’s, the main source of information was coming from newspapers, thus giving these journalists a heightened responsibility and gives them a monopolistic power. If the newspaper industry was disposed of today, our society would still be able to access important information. This observation does not mean that the journalists of today have any less responsibility for informing their peers but it does give them a decreased sense of power in the democratic process then when Mr. Lippmann first stated his quote.
As far as the allegory made by Lippmann, I do not agree with the comparison of the journalists and priests. I think the journalism field should be held at the highest standard and should be deemed as very valuable. Saying this though, in my opinion, priests have news that is much more valuable to the human experience. I do not think the two fields correspond properly. Rather I think the role of journalists should be compared to the leaders of people in a democracy such as the President, Governors, Mayors, etc. Journalists have the ability to spread information and news just as much as these prestigious members of the American society. Our society needs journalists reporting news just as much as we need people to govern us.
Good post. I think you make a fair point about the expansion of information dissemination and the effect of the resulting reduction of the role of newspapers. Spot on.
ReplyDeleteI do think you should include more context: both about you as the source of your words and the source of the quote to which you respond. Your reader needs to know from where your word are coming, and the more they know about you provides the greater opportunity for understanding.
That said, good post. Keep at it.
Very good point about how today journalists perhaps hold less power than in Lippmann’s time. I agree that increased availability of news and outlets has made the citizenry less dependent on journalists, thus decreasing their social power. However, I feel this new age of citizen journalism has also given some added power to journalists. Since literally anyone can publish news now, true seasoned journalists are the main professionals the audience knows they can count on for reliable information. So perhaps journalists have not lost quite so much social capital.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with your concluding sentence. However I am not quite sure I grasp the comparison you are trying to make between leaders and journalists. To me, they hold very different functions. The President, while certainly capable of spreading information as do journalists, holds a fundamentally different purpose behind his information. Leaders use information to persuade, and often only tell their side of the story in order to do so. This seems the very reason they are named leaders, they need followers in order to hold power. Journalists are supposed to be fair and balanced, and thus make no attempt to persuade. Their concern has nothing to do with compiling followers. Journalists mean only to inform the public, no matter which stance their readers may take.
I think you had some very good points to make. However, you lost me slightly in some of your longer sentences. Maybe in the future try to shorten them up some. Other than that you had some really great insight. I particularly liked your point regarding the disposability of newspapers. It's sad, but true.
ReplyDeleteI think I may have lost you again in your second point of comparing journalists and leaders. I can see how you might say they have equally important roles in a government, but I do not think they are one and the same. A journalist's role is to keep leaders in check by informing the public. While this task might be as important as the tasks of those who govern us, I do not think journalists can be compared to leaders.