March 9, 2007: Does the Media Set a Bad Example? Duh

According to a new study from the Culture and Media Institute, a majority of Americans across the board (74 %) believe that America has suffered a moral decline in the past 20 years and a majority (64 %) believes that the news and entertainment media are a major influence in that decline.

Um, this is not exactly surprising coming from a religious-based advocacy group. Here's their mission:

To preserve and help restore America’s culture, character, traditional values, and morals against the assault of the liberal media elite, and to promote fair portrayal of social conservatives and religious believers in the media.

Well kids, the liberal media elite is promoting your study, because I've seen it in all the commie pinko rags I read. So you can stifle the whining about lack of coverage. The study is getting a fair amount of press because of one little fact: it purports to break down findings by three groups based on their views on religion in everyday life: the Orthodox (religious), the Progressives (not religious) and the Independents (not sure). Across all three groups, there was damning agreement about impact of the media.

While there may be disagreement over the religious aspects, implications, and biases your organization brings to the table, your topic du jour is an interesting conversation that makes me ask some of the same questions you do, and even a few that you don't:

• Does the media set a bad example?
  
• Where does the culpability lie in a society that treats supply and demand as the chicken and the egg?
• What are the rules for coverage? Are they fair, reasonable, and objective?
• Does the press have a role in making accidental heroes out of non-deserving celebrities?
• In this world of 24/7 coverage, how much coverage is too much?