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Another shift in the new media is a change in viewers’ preferred programming. Younger viewers, especially members of generation X and millennials, like their newscasts to be humorous. The popularity of
The Daily Show and
The Colbert Report demonstrate that news, even political news, can win young viewers if delivered well.
Tom Huddleston, Jr., “Jon Stewart Just Punched a $250 Million Hole in Viacom’s Value,”
Fortune , 11 February 2015. Such
soft news presents news in an entertaining and approachable manner, painlessly introducing a variety of topics. While the depth or quality of reporting may be less than ideal, these shows can sound an alarm as needed to raise citizen awareness (
[link] ).
John Zaller. 2003. “A New Standard of News Quality: Burglar Alarms for the Monitorial Citizen,”
Political Communication 20, No. 2: 109–130.
Viewers who watch or listen to programs like John Oliver’s
Last Week Tonight are more likely to be aware and observant of political events and foreign policy crises than they would otherwise be.
Matthew A. Baum. 2002. “Sex, Lies and War: How Soft News Brings Foreign Policy to the Inattentive Public,”
American Political Science Review 96, no. 1: 91–109. They may view opposing party candidates more favorably because the low-partisan, friendly interview styles allow politicians to relax and be conversational rather than defensive.
Matthew Baum. 2003. “Soft News and Political Knowledge: Evidence of Absence or Absence of Evidence?”
Political Communication 20, No. 2: 173–190. Because viewers of political comedy shows watch the news frequently, they may, in fact, be more politically knowledgeable than citizens viewing national news. In two studies researchers interviewed respondents and asked knowledge questions about current events and situations. Viewers of
The Daily Show scored more correct answers than viewers of news programming and news stations.
“Public Knowledge of Current Affairs Little Changed by News and Information Revolutions,”
Pew Research Center , 15 April 2007; “What You Know Depends on What You Watch: Current Events Knowledge across Popular News Sources,”
Fairleigh Dickinson University , 3 May 2012, http://publicmind.fdu.edu/2012/confirmed/. That being said, it is not clear whether the number of viewers is large enough to make a big impact on politics, nor do we know whether the learning is long term or short term.
Markus Prior. 2003. “Any Good News in Soft News? The Impact of Soft News Preference on Political Knowledge,”
Political Communication 20, No. 2: 149–171.
Local government and politics need visibility. College students need a voice. Why not become a citizen journalist? City and county governments hold meetings on a regular basis and students rarely attend. Yet issues relevant to students are often discussed at these meetings, like increases in street parking fines, zoning for off-campus housing, and tax incentives for new businesses that employ part-time student labor. Attend some meetings, ask questions, and write about the experience on your Facebook page. Create a blog to organize your reports or use Storify to curate a social media debate. If you prefer videography, create a YouTube channel to document your reports on current events, or Tweet your live video using Periscope or Meerkat.
Not interested in government? Other areas of governance that affect students are the university or college’s Board of Regents meetings. These cover topics like tuition increases, class cuts, and changes to student conduct policies. If your state requires state institutions to open their meetings to the public, consider attending. You might be the one to notify your peers of changes that affect them.
What local meetings could you cover? What issues are important to you and your peers?
Newspapers were vital during the Revolutionary War. Later, in the party press era, party loyalty governed coverage. At the turn of the twentieth century, investigative journalism and muckraking appeared, and newspapers began presenting more professional, unbiased information. The modern print media have fought to stay relevant and cost-efficient, moving online to do so.
Most families had radios by the 1930s, making it an effective way for politicians, especially presidents, to reach out to citizens. While the increased use of television decreased the popularity of radio, talk radio still provides political information. Modern presidents also use television to rally people in times of crisis, although social media and the Internet now offer a more direct way for them to communicate. While serious newscasts still exist, younger viewers prefer soft news as a way to become informed.
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