American Amnesia: The Modern Challenge of Media's Role in Government

Abstract

The American press, citizenry, and government are in a multi-dependent, triangular relationship. The disintegrating role of the media in American government is a threat to America’s federal democratic republic and the liberty that the citizenry enjoys.

The decline of the quality of journalism and the rise in barriers of entry, have followed the rapid conglomeration of media ownership. This has resulted in a media that is more concerned with profits and entertaining the citizenry than fulfilling its important role in American democracy. A role where the media provides a forum for debate and a medium for the process of idea maturation.

The media is not the only one to blame for this phenomenon. The American citizenry seems to forget itself as the information deficit and social capital deficit increase. Combined with a lack of effective civic education, this results in an uninformed and apathetic citizenry. One that does not participate in the functions of civic engagement.

The broken communication lines of the media’s decline in providing a forum for debate and the decline of citizen participation in government, yields a broken triangular system of communication. A system that the American federal democratic republic depends on. Without these communication lines linking the citizenry and the media, lack of participation in media and government will only worsen.

This issue is of vital importance to the survival of the American system because the citizenry comprises the entire triangle. The citizenry is the media, and the citizenry is the government. Much like the warnings of classical thinkers, such an apathetic citizenry results in the loss of democracy as the citizenry no longer values their ability to participate in governance.

Unfortunately, this is an issue that cannot be easily remedied. Will the citizenry be able to educate itself and instill a newfound passion for participation? Or will the few who still value liberty be unable to explain to the apathetic what they are risking? Will the attempt to save the American system be as ineffective as trying to explain a personal history to someone who has amnesia?