>The publisher's blurb for McChesney's book says that he "argues that the
>media have become a significant anti-democratic force in the United
>States, and, to varying degrees, worldwide...."
My only problem with this is the "have become," which implies that they once weren't. When were they ever pro-democratic? This argument often leads to another (implied and unexamined) nostalgia for the days of local ownership, as opposed to today's conglomeratization. Are we nostalgic for Hearst? Do we hold up small-town newspapers, which usually seem like promotional sheets for local car dealers and realtors, as a model?
By the way, I saw an interview with Tina Brown on TV last night. She says that in a society that is "adrift," and has lost its "values," we cling to celebrity. Works for her, obviously.
Doug