258258 Chapter 7 | The MediaSocial media advocates got the ways the media would change right—but they were
wrong about how citizens would react. Even now, most Americans behave as they
always have, consulting a few trusted sources for information about politics. The fact
that much more information is available now has not changed our consumption habits.
The value of gathering additional information is simply not worth the trouble, especially
given the need to reconcile what a variety of sources are telling you.
Taking stock of how people use the media also explains increasing distrust of the
media and concerns about fake news. There are so many more sources to consult,
and there is much better information about how different sources report the news
differently. As a result, people have a better sense of which sources they should trust
and a much better sense that there are many other sources whose reporting might
be suspect. Taken as a group, the media are no less trustworthy than they were a
generation ago—but the average American has a much better idea of why he or she
should be suspicious of some media coverage.
Social media advocates also had unrealistic expectations about how the media
would react to technological change. Even now, content producers must attract
an audience to survive. Americans might be better informed if the media ignored
sensational stories and focused on the details of public policy, but lurid stories
help attract and keep the audience that media companies need to stay in business.
Americans will get different media coverage only if they value sources that emphasize
details and complexity over scandals and drama.
For all of these reasons, America’s news media often falls short of the goal of
acting as a watchdog, making sure people have the information they need to bring
government policy in line with their interests. Though social media has changed many
aspects of our lives, it has not changed this fundamental truth about American politics:
we cannot blame people for refusing to take advantage of what the media offers
them, but at the same time we cannot blame the media for citizens’ ignorance and
misinformation.What’s
Your
Take?
Should social media
be judged based on the
wealth of information it
provides or on its failure toincrease citizens’ political
knowledge? Should
Americans put more trust
in the media?Full_08_APT_64431_ch07_232-261.indd 258 16/11/18 1:40 PM