In this important election year the influence of the media on society has been contested and questioned. The Clinton campaign, for example, has complained that the liberal media is biased in favor of Obama. This issue even permeated late-night comedy shows, with a notable skit on SNL poking fun at the liberal media’s obsession with Obama. Both those supportive of and against the war in Iraq deride the coverage that its combat and politics have received. Many watched Hurricane Katrina slip from the front page and wondered if the people of New Orleans had also been put on the back burner of the American public. The media is both representative of our society and a primary influence in our political process. Our government is based on the notion that an educated citizenry participates in the decision making process. In our continued effort to support a government by the people and of the people, media can be an aid or an ailment to this function of our democracy. Throughout this tenuous political time, many have asked themselves: what role does the media play in our perception of democracy?
On this campus, we have the privilege of picking up The New York Times in many locations Monday through Friday. While Wesleyan students get their news from a variety of other sources, it is clear that this single media outlet provides us with a majority of our news — whether it is online, in hard copy, or through a five-minute podcast summary of the front page.
The New York Times Readership Program also allows for speakers from the paper to come to campus for FREE! This is an excellent opportunity for different groups to bring prestigious journalists to Wesleyan to speak to a variety of groups on different issues. While many students are aware of the budget cuts which recently reduced the number of papers available each day, few students are aware of the ability to bring a correspondent to campus.
The Readership Program is clearly a priority for students. Wesleyan students have voiced concerns about the recent cutbacks. Faculty has used their classes as a forum for discussions of the merits of hardcopy reading. This weekend there will be an opportunity for Wesleyan students and faculty to demonstrate their support for the Readership Program.
This Saturday, May 3, the Readership Program and the Roosevelt Institution are bringing Assistant Managing Editor for News of The New York Times Richard L. Berke to campus. Mr. Berke was on the political beat for 20 years prior to his promotion as editor, and has covered every presidential election that has taken place during the lifetime of the students on this campus. He has a unique perspective on how politics shape the media and how media affects our democratic process. Come out to support the Readership Program and hear his keynote address, “An Inside Look at the Role of Media in Society,” at 3 p.m. in Crowell Hall. A reception hosted by President Roth will follow.
This talk is the keynote address to the Roosevelt Institution’s “Making Democracy Work” conference. The goal of the day is to engage the Wesleyan community in thoughtful dialogue and action about the health of our democracy by using the tenets of democracy — discussion, debate and dissent. Professors Eyal Rabinovitch and Melayne Price, as well as alumnus David Stein ’06, will frame the days’ events with discussion of the theoretical functions of our democracy and its failures in practice, specifically in terms of Hurricane Katrina and the penal system. After this discussion, leaders from WesPREP and Traverse Square will lead workshops to illustrate the ways in which Wesleyan students continually engage in action toward making democracy work.
Come to the events and engage in dialogue about the health of our democracy. Come to Berke’s talk and physically show the administration and The New York Times that the Readership Program is a priority.
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