Saving Democracy Through Journalism

During their discussion about the book The Death and Life of American Journalism, Robert McChesney and John Nichols report on the rapid decline of journalism in 21st Century America. To them, this decline is an increasingly important crisis for American democracy. Without credible, informative journalism, our nation will become corrupted by biased information from governments and large organizations.

This collapse of journalism in media has been coming for some time now and is the result of multiple causes. The most commonly discussed reasons are the advent of the internet and the current economy. However, McChesney and Nichols claim that this decline has been coming for much longer, and these two situations have only quickened the collapse, not caused it. To McChesney and Nichols, old media and journalism have been more threated by corporate conglomerates domination and decreasing quality of media, specifically journalism.

In McChesney's views, this collapse of journalism is detrimental to our society. He views media, specifically its journalistic duties, almost as a fourth branch of government. It supplies a source of checks and balances to our elected officials that should be independent of the political system. He believes the press was practically a planned branch of government because the United States history, from the founding of the nation to about the Civil War, is filled with actions by the government to support a free press both legally and financially.

Since the middle of the 19th Century, the press and journalism in America has grown to become dependent upon advertising for revenue and developed a commercial model. This metamorphosis gradually forced the press to become more business oriented and evolve into the mass media of the 20th Century. During the last century, media monopolies and conglomerates grew by swallowing up independently owned papers and broadcasting stations. They then forced competitors out of business. In doing so, these companies began to abandon the communities their media served in order to reduce costs and increase profits for shareholders by reducing staff and using on more one-size-fits-all material.

Without a doubt, I agree with almost all of McChesney and Nichols opinions regarding the fall of journalism. For some time, I have been convinced of the devastating effects the Telecommunication Act of 1996 has had on our society. In my opinion, this act is one of the most damaging pieces of legislation in the history of this republic. It allowed companies such as Clear Channel to acquire countless stations across the country. In doing so, the integrity of our media was damaged and unimaginable harm was done to local communities. Organizations would reduce staff and operate stations in clusters. As opposed to having seven radio stations with seven staffs, there would be seven stations with one staff. Thus, less jobs were created and less creativity was demonstrated. More and more companies would try to apply one approach to every community. What works in New York City does not necessarily work in Nameless, TN.

Hearing McChesney and Nichols talk has only reaffirmed my beliefs. Although my opinions have been formulated based on research of radio mergers, their critiques of newspapers echoes my opinions regarding radio station consolidations. All three of us seem to agree that media conglomerates are bad for local communities across the United States.

In order to rectify this crisis, McChesney and Nichols strongly advocate for government intervention. They believe the government should subsidize local media outlets by creating community oriented organizations and help young journalist gain experience. In doing so, they believe the press will get back to its true calling of supporting communities and aiding our democracy.

To judge the success of some of these changes, we would need to consider several factors. First of all, one would want to examine data regarding the number of newspapers, broadcasting stations, and journalism jobs available after the legislation. Do more communities have more than one print publication? Competing radio or television stations? Additionally, one would want to examine if people are able to make a living being a professional journalist. Are there more jobs for journalists? Are they paid adequately? This information would help to determine some of the success of the proposed changes. Of course, this evaluation would only examine of part of the puzzle.

In addition, we would need to see if the increased help for media actually aides our communities. Would the increased journalism increase the civics of the individuals in the communities? This information could be judged by gathering voting data and more importantly community involvement. Many people believe that Americans are increasingly becoming disconnected from those that live around them. If government support of increasing community media showed that individuals were more involved in their local communities by being better informed, then these people may be considered better citizens, and thus, McChesney and Nichols ideas could be considered successful.

Loving "Graceland"

"The Mississippi Delta was shining like a national guitar," is the opening line to Paul Simon's "Graceland" from the album of the same name. The song details the journey of a man to the legendary home of Elvis Presley. The protagonist of the song is searching for redemption, a mystical understanding, or perhaps some sort of personal knowledge at Graceland similar to a religious pilgrim. In the narrative, the man is on this quest to help recover from the recent end of a relationship.

This song has always had a special place in my heart. To me, "Losing love is like a window in your heart; everybody sees you're blown apart" is one of the most beautiful truths I have ever heard in a song. When ever I have suffered from a broken heart, I have thought of this line. It seems to perfectly explain how I feel so well.

"Graceland" also hits me on another level. For as long as I can remember, I have believed in the "myth" of America. I am a staunch lover of our popular culture and the reality it creates such as the "American Dream." The notion a man or woman may change from pauper to prince almost overnight.

Simon invokes this belief by making Graceland a holy place for secular America. To Simon, the protagonist will be "received in Graceland" along with other pilgrims. They will find answers they are seeking at the home of a poor truck driver from Tupelo, Mississippi who became a king. To millions of Americans, Graceland is proof of what is possible in America, and Simon recognizes the power of this location.

Since I am a male, the song has extra meaning for me. It is fairly clear that the protagonist is a man. More than likely it is an auto-biographical song by Simon, but the thoughts expressed could be applied to anyone of either sex. However, it seems to be more applicable to men. Additionally, the song appeals to me due to its regional topics. I grew up in the South and recognize the same history Simon does as the character drives down the Mississippi river to the "cradle of the Civil War." The lyrics are simply beautiful. The opening line is one of the most incredible descriptions of the Mississippi River Delta. Simon simultaneously reflects its beauty and cultural significance. Much of America's music has come from this region including the blues and rock 'n roll.

Without a doubt, I believe this song hits me personally. It was released two years after I was born, so most people of my age are not intimately familiar with it. While they listened to contemporary pop acts like Justin Timberlake, I was enjoying the wisdom and artistry of Paul Simon. It sets me a part from others of my age.

An early memory of mine is hearing "You Can Call Me Al," another song from the same album, with my father. It was also a favorite of mine, but then again, Graceland, the album, is my favorite album. My father and I were returning from an outing when I first heard "Al." I loved it, and over the years, I became obsessed with the song. Eventually, I began listening to the entire recording. It did not take long for me to fall in love with every song on the album. As I grew older, "Graceland", the title song became my favorite. In fact, the first time I went to Memphis with my dad, we played this song.

As time goes by, "Graceland" continues to be a part of my life. It is a song that I listen to in any mood. When I am happy, I find joy in the lyrics, and when I am sad, it comforts me. When I go out to do karaoke, I often sing this song, and it makes me enjoy the moment. Many of my friends are not very familiar with it... except for the fact, it is my staple song selection.