This is the time of year for top ten lists. Here are the 10 current trends in the mass media that ought to disturb us according to Peter Kahn, a Pulitzer-winning journalist, and chairman of Dow Jones.
The blurring of the lines between journalism and entertainment;
The blurring of lines between news and opinion;
The blending of news and advertising, sponsorships or other commercial relationships;
The problems and pitfalls inherent in pack journalism;
The issue of conflict and context. On most issues most Americans are not on polar extremes;
The exaggerated tendency toward pessimism;
The growing fascination with the perverse and the pathological–John Mark Karr journalism;
Social orthodoxy, or political correctness;
The media’s short attention span;
The matter of power
His full article is here.
On another media note, the 2006 Dishonest Reporter of the Year Awards are out. As you can imagine, the competition was fierce. Seeing the list, and the accompanying photos, brings back some great memories. This is truly the best of the worst.