Federal Funding For Public Broadcasting

Since television came into existence, it has evolved into a useful tool to spread ideas, both social and political, and has had a great effect on the generations growing up with these heavily influential shows. To these younger generations, television has taken the role of a teacher, with the task of creating a social construction by which many of us base our personal beliefs and judgments on. This power allows television shows take the opportunity to address problems in a manner that many audiences can take to heart. Many television shows present controversial topics in a comical matter, in some ways to soften the blow of hard-hitting reality at the same time bringing attention to the issue being addressed. In the television show,

Everything comes with negatives. “But it is much later in the game now, and ignorance of the score is inexcusable. To be unaware that a technology comes equipped with a program for social change, to maintain that technology is neutral, to make the assumption that technology is always a friend to culture is, at this late hour, stupidity plain and simple"(Chapter 11 Page 5). It is extremely important to acknowledge and understand that technology can drastically change a society. For the purpose of this essay the technology is television and the change is our culture valuing entertainment over substance, which is turning us into a nation who sits back and lets people run the country the way they

It being the leading source of news since the printing press. We put our faith in the media to report accurate facts unbiasedly. Between 1983 and now the media industry has consolidated from 50 individual companies to 6. That means that though the impression given is that there are a multitude of sources to attain information, the messages being communicated are all one in the same. The limitation of media sources cause a ripple effect of limited information, allowing these companies to control the public’s perception on

This category includes: Natural Resources and Environment, NASA, Energy, FBI, and National Park Service. National resources and environment, energy, and the FBI all play a vast role in supporting the nation’s preamble by ensuring the general welfare of the people and providing common defense. That leaves NASA and the National Park Service, and seeing as the national park service receives the smallest amount out of all the categories as is, it seems illogical that any money be taken from there. It is rather alarming; however, that NASA is receiving the second largest amount of money of the five in the little guys. As cool as NASA is, it isn’t a necessity for the country, and the money could probably be way better spent. The changes I would make to the little guys would be to cut NASA’s budget and either give the money to the FBI or the education

In their article “Moving beyond the 'Vast Wasteland'”, Laurie Ouellette and Justin Lewis critique how public broadcasting functions in the US. Liberal reformers hold to the view that television needs protection from commercialism. The liberal reformer view contains cultural and class hierarchies. They believe that public television is for the white, college-educated middle-class viewer who has “cultural capital”(Ouellette & Lewis, 96). As a result, funding for public broadcasting has gone primarily towards high culture and intellectual programs and not sitcoms or other popular forms of television. Ouellette and Lewis disagree with this, saying that these types of high-brow programming are not the only ones worthy of public investment. Instead, they argue that popular programs that are being commercially maintained also merit public support and investment (96). Rather than reserving public broadcasting for more educational programming, the authors argue that there is a more progressive solution that can incorporate popular media forms while still veering away from commercialization.

The media shouldn’t be owned by corporations or viewership numbers. The television is a power platform that is broadcasted directly into the homes, and minds, of almost every American. It has the ability to come into people’s lives to

The fact that PBS is funded by the government, or tax payers, is a sore subject for some Americans (Stein). Some feel that the government should not be funding PBS for many reasons. Some feel as though no one actually watches public television anymore, insteading choosing to purchase cable. The reason so many people choose cable is because it has many, many more channels. Why watch PBS when there are so many other choices? Another eason people many not choose to watch

In an effort to expose the epistemology of television, which Postman believes has not been effectively addressed, he examines the effects of TV on several important American cultural institutions: news, religion, politics and education.  All four institutions, Postman argues, have realized that they have to go on television in order to be noticed which, in turn, requires them to learn the language of TV if they are to reach the people.  Therefore, they have joined the national conversation not on their own terms, but on TV's terms.  Postman contends that this transformation of our major institutions has trivialized what is most important about them and turned our culture into "one vast arena for show business" (80).  In the case of broadcast news, we see visually stimulating, disconnected stories about murder and mayhem along with a healthy dose of infotainment delivered by friendly and likeable anchors that remind us to "tune in tomorrow".  In the case of politics, we have discourse through distorted paid TV commercials and "debates" in which the appearance of having said something important is

Children now think that we should learn by watching television. Postman believes that the only way to really learn is through the traditional methods. Shows such as Sesame Street cause more harm than good. They make the classroom seem even less exciting. I agree with his point on debates and that they could stand to be lengthened so we could get a better idea of what the candidates truly think. But I disagree with his point on education. Yes television can have a negative effect, but not shows such as Sesame Street, and other learning programs. Children learn more from these types of shows then many other methods of teaching.

If Canada wants to protect their national identity, they must all embrace each other’s cultures, instead of creating multiple broadcasts that preach one view or culture. Without state governed media, the dominance of US products in Canada would diminish its identity as a nation, fail to serve the public interest and create less profits causing more advertising and less content in the media. Government regulated media proves to be more favourable and beneficial than policies based off of self-regulated solutions when addressing Canada’s media industries and cultural

Over the centuries, the media has played a significant role in the shaping of societies across the globe. This is especially true of developed nations where media access is readily available to the average citizen. The media has contributed to the creation of ideologies and ideals within a society. The media has such an effect on social life, that a simple as a news story has the power to shake a nation. Because of this, governments around the world have made it their duty to be active in the regulation and control of media access in their countries. The media however, has quickly become dominated by major mega companies who own numerous television, radio and movie companies both nationally and

It is important to note the following when evaluating China’s media industry: Public service television is an essential service to the community and cohesion of democratic societies aimed at the production, publication and distribution of a set of radio and television channels airing the diverse and balanced for all audiences, covering all genres and designed to meet information needs, culture, education and entertainment of Chinese society, spread their identify and cultural diversity, promote the information society, promoting pluralism, participation and other constitutional values, ensuring access for significant social and political groups.

Do you think that taxes should fund for public television? I think that the taxes should. Public television helps people all around the globe. It is said that public television can make people happy and joyful. There are tons of fun channels to watch and make a person's day brighter.

PBS was created in a time where the classic broadcast archetype was the only way television got made. In the first week of class, Professor Johnson explained that the classic American network television archetype relies on corporate funding in the form of advertisement sales (2016). A certain amount of viewership of a given show, on a given night, can drive huge ad sales. The higher a show’s ratings, the bigger the ad sales. PBS combatted this archetype by attempting to produce content by means of government grants and viewer donations.

As television channels in the 1960’s continued to display numerous violence, American comedy, and offensive commercials, television programming offered scanty, enjoyable shows for the general audience. Newton Minow, the Federal Communications Chairman (FCC) from 1961 to 1963, argued for a better quality of television in his “Address to the Broadcasting Industry” to over 2,000 members of the National Association of Broadcasters. As a result, it generated a national debate about the quality of television programming. Throughout his speech, Minow argues for better television programming since other means of communication offer better content, children are exposed to only violence and cartoons, and the