TV has made nation complacent, Gore says

[Tony]

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0,1406,KNS_348_2421025,00.html ...full article


NASHVILLE - The "quasi-hypnotic influence" of television in America has fostered a complacent nation that is a danger to democracy, former Vice President Al Gore said Tuesday.

Gore, speaking on "Media and Democracy" at Middle Tennessee State University, told attendees the decline of newspapers as the country's dominant method of communication leaves average Americans without an outlet for scholarly debate.




Gore has a good point, I just wish he would stop spreading the myth of america as a democracy.

[Tmy]

I think TV has made the country paranoid. Now every damn crime or "could it be terror" event in the country is blasted across the news channels all day long.

Whats so great about newspapers anyway? Just cause its on print it is somehow better than TV news?

[The Don]

Newspapers (seem to) have more time and space to consider issues at length. Difficult subjects can be covered over a number of pages. There aren't the same demands to spend only xx seconds on each story (like on the telly).

Newspapers can also indicate when they're editorialising rather than just printing the news (although these days in the UK it can be difficult to tell the difference).

In the UK there's grater choice. There are 5(ish) quality national daily newspapers and half a dozen or so tabliods. There are fewer readily available news channels

[c0rbin]

TV is good for weather reports and the occassional hour of entertainment (I think my family averages about 3-4 hours a week).

This does not include movies, a medium of entertainment of which I am a great fan.

We watch about one movie a week.

There is just too much to do otherwise.

[Tmy]

Just cause its not on the editorial page doesnt mean theres no editorialising.

Here in the states we have sooo many 24hr news stations that they are not just made up of x minute news bites. THere are alot of talk shows that get into detailed stories and discussions.

Id say that the news stations have brought about a large swing in conservatism which is not commonly found in print. You can say that TV news is more balanced as a whole.