Media in a Democratic Society

Paper Summary:

The paper provides a comparison and contrast of the societies and political cultures of the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as the media operations in each culture. The paper argues that while the U.S. model is influential in both Canada and Mexico, the similarities are closest between the U.S. and Canada in that corporate power blocks systemic media criticism of government. The paper contrasts this to Mexico where a more authoritarian political structure has historically resulted in more direct political control of media by government and political authority as opposed to corporate entities. The paper clearly shows how in neither of the three countries does the media - albeit in different respects - foster democratic values.

Outline:
Introduction
Media in the United States - Personality over Politics
Media in Canada - Politics and Culture
Media in Mexico - Absolute Convergence
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Political and media critics in the United States have argued that one of the defining features of American media's representation of government is its tendency to focus on personality over politics. This can be seen most clearly in presidents, as the recent presidencies of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have revealed an extraordinary level of focus on one individual personality rather than the complex processes of government itself. In fact, this was a process that began with the era of television in the 1950s, when politicians became celebrities and their political power was closely intertwined with their media images (Schickel 201). Since that time, American political campaigns have been oriented towards television and the importance of the thirty second "sound bite" (Jackson et al. 129)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Boorstin, Daniel. The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. New York: Harper Colophon, 1961.
• Carroll, M. Popular Modernity in America. New York: State University of New York Press, 2000.
• Chomsky, Noam. Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky.Ed. Peter Mitchell and John Schoeffel. New York: New Press, 2002.
• Crigler, A. "Interpreting Visual Versus Audio Messages in Television News." Journal of Communication. 4.44 (1994), 132-150.
• Fiske, John. "Popularity and the Politics of Information." In American Cultural Studies: A Reader. Eds. J. Hartley and R. Pearson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, 353-362.

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