問題媒體：二十一世紀美國傳播政治

by Robert W. McChesney, 馮建三 (譯者), 羅世宏 (譯者)

《問題媒體》以平實誠懇與務求對話的用語，揭示了當前美國新聞與娛樂媒體的表現，明白表述美國媒體系統的運作方式，藉此以求提供基礎，讓公民能夠扮演更積極的角色，形塑這套系統賴以成長的各種政策。同時把美國媒體最核心的問題清楚地標示。 Robert McChesney代表美國媒介的良知，McChesney和媒介分析的關係，正有如喬姆斯基和語言學、Ben & Jerry和冰淇淋以及貓王和扭腰擺臀之間的關係。對增進我們理解媒介對民主的重要性而言，沒有學者比Robert W. McChesney做得更多 《問題媒體》一書卓越地融匯了歷史、經濟、政策和政治，不管對於任何試圖理解現正發生著的媒體爭奪戰的人、或對逐漸崛起的媒體改革運動而言，這份權威性研究不僅振聾發聵，而且也真正激勵了建設性的行動。這是一份帶有鼓舞和啟迪性的宣言。

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Journalism

420 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

Robert Waterman McChesney was an American professor notable in the history and political economy of communications, and the role media play in democratic and capitalist societies. He was the Gutgsell Endowed Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He co-founded the Free Press, a national media reform organization. From 2002 to 2012, he hosted Media Matters, a weekly radio program every Sunday afternoon on WILL (AM), Illinois Public Media radio.

Reviews

[Juan Pablo · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you understand how too much being concentrated in the hands of too few is bad when it comes to most things, this book will make you angry as it it made me angry. Having the way the media operates demonstrated, from producing a product & owning the medium to distribute it & how that forces one to be biased towards their interests & show no favor to a competitive force & how that affects the information we are given vs what we are not given, shows how broken this system that should serve the majority of the public is. As with most institutions, allowing money to have so much power & influence over it lead to it's current situation. It shows how the belief in the "corrective force of the market", as we s often hear, is little more than a rhetorical tool. This book shows how lobbying & media concentration have & continue to influence media policy, general public policy & public awareness of issues that SHOULD be important to them. It definitely forced me to reconsider my position on just how much power the public has in influencing the market vs how much power they should have. Yes, people have influence with their purchasing power, but that range is intentionally limited so that "competition" only works for those already at the table so to speak. People are going to make choices no matter what, but when their choices are restricted, then it only becomes a faint shadow of what it should be. Understanding media concentration & vertical integration in the past has also allowed me to better understand the current issue of net-neutrality & why that is a bad thing for everyone. Media policy as it is created now & the operation of the media in general affects all social issues & how well the public is informed or misinformed. In one way or another, this is tied to every issue that people hold important to them. If they so choose, and they often do, they can keep silent on an important issue or restrict the flow of information to the public thus keeping them ignorant & can either influence them to vote for corporate interests or give corporate interests the freedom to make back-channel deals.

This is an important book that I think anyone who has any social justice issue that they take seriously should read. It's very informative & stresses the importance of vigilance on the part of U.S. citizens.

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

All the sections of this book that are about media policy, the history of the media in America and the government's role in it, and the impact of those policies and that history on journalism and broadcasting today are solid. It's marred by some serious lapses in the quality of the arguments and sources whenever McChesney tackles the content of popular entertainment - and I'm far from convinced that the right's occasional distaste for supposed "vulgarity" in media is something worth celebrating or taking advantage of.

[Ryan Austill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting points, but he constantly refers to a position of neutrality when he is CLEARLY presenting his opinion as opposed to actual facts.

[Matt Fodor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read...fascinating account of the history and political economy of the US media and the need for media reform, including the debunking of the "liberal media" nonsense. McChesney has a great writing style as well and is probably the top scholar of US media working today.

[James]

The symptoms of the crisis of the U.S. media are well-known—a decline in hard news, the growth of info-tainment and advertorials, staff cuts and concentration of ownership, increasing conformity of viewpoint and suppression of genuine debate. McChesney's new book, The Problem of the Media, gets to the roots of this crisis, explains it, and points a way forward for the growing media reform movement.Moving consistently from critique to action, the book explores the political economy of the media, illuminating its major flashpoints and controversies by locating them in the political economy of U.S. capitalism. It deals with issues such as the declining quality of journalism, the question of bias, the weakness of the public broadcasting sector, and the limits and possibilities of antitrust legislation in regulating the media. It points out the ways in which the existing media system has become a threat to democracy, and shows how it could be made to serve the interests of the majority.McChesney's Rich Media, Poor Democracy was hailed as a pioneering analysis of the way in which media had come to serve the interests of corporate profit rather than public enlightenment and debate. Bill Moyers commented, "If Thomas Paine were around, he would have written this book." The Problem of the Media is certain to be a landmark in media studies, a vital resource for media activism, and essential reading for concerned scholars and citizens everywhere.

[Roberto Yoed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalism today is ideological and far from being neutral. Dominant classes are the winners with their "objective" perspective.

As Gramsci said, the indifferent supports the ruling class.

[E.H. Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert McChesney, a name I know as well as my own, has written an insightful and necessary book. I took a class in college entitled “Media and Politics”, and the entire semester we studied, referenced, and wrote papers about Mr. McChesney’s work. One of the best parts about this book is the lack of political polarization of potential readers. You don’t have to be a Democrat or Republican to enjoy and learn from this book. And, it was written in 2004, so there’s no mention of any current politicians. The current political climate is a touchy one, so when you read this book, you can take comfort that the author isn’t leaning in any particular direction.

I’ve written so many papers on this book, it will be difficult to keep my review concise. Basically, this incredible book sheds light on the power the media has in shaping the public’s political awareness and views. If you think the media can do no wrong, this book will shock you. If you knew the media was a little corrupt, you’ll still be shocked at the depth of power the media possesses. “The Media” isn’t really as diverse as it appears. Only a handful of individuals own all the media outlets on the planet (This book was written before folks created YouTube channels and spouted their opinions), so if one person has a view he wants espoused, potentially one-third of all media outlets will espouse his view.

Unless you’re a political science student, there’s a high likelihood you aren’t aware of the power of lobbying. This book will educate you. McChesney also discusses journalistic bias, and the problem of not only telling people what to think, but what to think about. If a news outlet decides not to cover a story at all, they are still shaping the public’s view on it.

It may appear that this is a Republican-leaning book, but it really isn’t. It’s a book for anyone who asks questions instead of blindly believing what they’re told. It’s eye-opening, and even though it’s thirteen years old, the lessons are still applicable.

http://hottoastyrag.weebly.com/the-pr...

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Say no more...

an opinated text on the biz of how media content has been regulated and pandered out to the public.

"Let commercial interests figure out how-to make the most money and then write laws and regulations to protect their system." (p. 38) Payola in the 21st century! I don't believe it...

anyone out there working in radio feel like a prostitute?

I mean, seriously, for the last 3 years I haven't heard a new song and/or artist on the radio. I turned it off, the radio.

Go web, go.

I'm so happy for the kids who can afford i-pods.

[Tara]

This book details how the media has come to serve the interests of corporate profit over public enlightenment and debate. It details historically how government policy and corporate consolidation has harmed participatory democracy and how media reform has sucessfully fought back.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one spells it out, backs it up, and takes it all home in foul swoop. full of "need to know" stuff. I wish they would make this a mandatory read for highschool kids

[Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please feel free to educate yourself with this first rate analysis.