HW 3: Response to "Toward a More Participatory Democracy"

The biggest issue that David Kline addresses in his writing is the media, more importantly how false the information tends to be. He suggests that we need to work together to put an end to it. He states, “But since the right wing already controls the media, we must use other means to educate the American people." When I was a child, I used to think that the world was a safe and simple place. I believe that the media is great, easy source for dishing out information and connecting people with the world around them. However, there is so much distorted information presented by the media that the public doesn’t know what to believe anymore. Although I should know better by now, I cannot help thinking that we must begin now to take matters into our own hands. We need to stop relying on everyone else and focus on the truth. One way of doing this, is by posting blogs. At the same time that I believe it’s a chance for people to take a stance and comment on the world they are living in, I also believe that if you are relaying information to the public it should be accurate. David also says that, "The media has lost a portion of the respect and trust it once held among the public and forty-five percent of Americans said they believe little or nothing of what they read in their daily newspapers." Nobody wants to read about ordinary, every day news but the more false something is the more people are intrigued to read about it, even when they know it isn’t necessarily true. So how do we find some common ground? Is their truly any way for us, the readers to voice our opinions? David says, “Political blogs also served as sometimes surprisingly effective opinion research tools that helped the various candidates test out ideas and campaign slogans. Blogging has helped in political elections by urging young people to vote and to become more aware of what is going on politically around them. Blogging in a sense is considered a media source but one that is useful, efficient, and has guidelines. I've always believed that in order to change a problem you need to seek the real issue. There is no way that we can completely alter the media issue but taking little steps makes a big difference.

added bold text (9/9/07)