The Mass Media—A Need for Greatness

Abstract

United States mass media are probably the world's greatest, and in excellent health, more mature and more responsible today than fifty years ago. But they are not good enough because: (1) People do not believe what they read; (2) the media do not have enough or the right kind of information; (3) editors need more power; and (4) there are large gaps in knowledge of the impact that the media have on the audiences. Once these shortcomings have been remedied, the media can face the really difficult questions of the times: (1) To what extent has newsmen's reportage only of the dramatic distorted readers' concepts of reality? (2) To what extent has media's exploitation of violence made violence prevalent? (3) To what extent have media contributed to increase in promiscuity and the cheap ening of sex? (4) To what extent have the media contributed to the popularity of extremism and the devil theory of international relations?