Dulio, Medvic, Nelson on TV, Style, and Substance
David A. Dulio, Stephen K. Medvic, and Candice J. Nelson, Shades of Gray (Brookings: 2002), p. 14.
The problems include limited access to mass media
outlets afforded to some voices in our political process; "sound bite"
journalism that covers campaign strategy more than policy
pronouncements and emphasizes conflict over consensus; and overreliance
on the medium of television, the logic of which makes politics "an
activity of style over substance, image over reality, melodrama over
analysis, belief over knowing, awareness over understanding." The
primary cause of these problems, [Robert] Denton argues, lies in "contemporary news values." As a business, the media must maintain high
circulation (or ratings) in order to make a profit by selling
advertising. The incentive to make the news entertaining is
overwhelming. But information that is most useful in a democratic
system may often be subtle and complex — boring, to some.
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