Daniel J. Boorstin's Expectations Of The Media

Assumptions of the Media
In order to keep government responsible, accountable, and honest, the public relies on the news media to inform them about the actions of political figures, public policy, and general public information. The public then uses the information they consumed through the media to take part in government. This is all assuming that there is a moralistic political culture; one where it is generally believed that government is there to serve the common good and therefore, participation in government is a personal obligation in order to better society. This assumption carries over into what the public interprets as the media's main function. It is assumed that they are there to serve the public's interest and inform the public on the truth. To consume the news responsibly, one must know what their own expectations of the media are, what the media actually does and is motivated by, and how their consumption of the media affects their participation and operation of democracy.
Expectations of the Media
Generally, the public expects the media to report on new stories, especially those about government, honestly. According to Daniel J. Boorstin in his novel The Image, …show more content…
His four biases aim to appeal to the news consumer. Through the web of conglomerate news media sources, media is now mass produced to provide ideological reinforcement. The public is more willing to agree that a news article is true if the news article further supports or enforces someone's previous beliefs. These four biases also serve to get more readers. Whether it is through mass news networks, ideological reinforcement, or infotainment, more readers means more money; more money that they can charge subscribers or