Al Gore on the role of the media in our democracy...

[juldea]

And it really matters because the subjugation of news by entertainment seriously harms our democracy: it leads to dysfunctional journalism that fails to inform the people. And when the people are not informed, they cannot hold government accountable when it is incompetent, corrupt, or both.

From this, also linked to by brewergnome.

Comments

[anitra.livejournal.com]

Wow. I just read through the whole thing - it's a very powerful, well-stated condemnation of today's news media. No wonder my parents have more faith in the "news" than I do. They grew up in an era when it could still be trusted completely (they were in their 20s in the 1960s).

This also reminds me why I voted for Al Gore back in 2000. I can't believe people said he sounded stupid ("created the internet" and all that)... especially given the alternative.

[eustacia42.livejournal.com]

Yeah, dude. He, like, actually uses real words that exist and stuff. hats off to al.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

I know that I didn't vote for him (nor for Bush; 2000 is one of the years I voted Libertarian) simply because I hadn't done any of my own research but DID rely on the media for my knowledge of the candidates. Hence I thought he was dull and stupid. Sigh. Live and learn...