Résumé
We spend countless hours exposed to television, radio, CDs, books, newspapers, magazines, Internet. These media inform our ideas and opinions, our values and our beliefs. As such, they play a vital role in our democracy, shaping citizens' understanding of social and political issues. The media influence the perceptions of citizens and policymakers, affecting the policies that touch us all.
Media must not be considered just another business: they are special institutions in our society. Information is the lifeblood of democracy, and when points of view are cut off and ideas cannot find an outlet, our democracy suffers. People from all backgrounds and political beliefs are concerned about the state of our media system. But in our commercial system, profit always trumps the public interest (I) and news media have dramatically drifted toward “infotainment” (II).