Commercial Culture: The Media System and the Public Interest

Bogart delivers on his promise to describe what is wrong with America's media system. While he has critical comments for all aspects of America's media, he reserves his most cutting observations for television, which he maintains violates its public duty by offering uninformative entertainment shows and newsless news programs. Bogart attributes the deficient state of television, as well as the other major media, to the quest for large audiences and profits. Concentration of media companies also comes in for its share of blame. Bogart argues that with the different forms of media-including book, newspaper and magazine publishing-coalescing into one giant system, this is a crucial time for vigorous public debate over the future of America's media. While some of Bogart's book trods old terrain and other sections are a bit academic, readers who take the media business seriously are given food for thought here. (Dec.)