Five Contemporary Journalism Issues

1.  Mental Health and the Mass Media. This issue explores the effects of mass media on the public perceptions of those with mental illnesses.  Often persons with mental illnesses are portrayed as dangerous, unstable, and strange; ought these stereotypes be dealt with in a way that will cause for mental illnesses to be portrayed in a less negative light?

 2.  The effectiveness of mass media campaigns in helping the prevention of smoking.  With the Obama Health Care Plan bent on preempting health problems, a general public mentality more focused on health, and the increased knowledge of the dangers of smoking have there recently been more mass media campaigns against smoking?  How effective are these campaigns in actually dissuading the use of cigarettes?

 3.  Does the media support or sabotage health?  The mass media seems play opposing roles in health.  Many of the messages put forth through commercials can definitely have detrimental effects on the health of individuals.  Examples include fast food commercials and advertisements for fatty foods.  Likewise, media can often promote a sedentary life as many of the mediums for mass media must be utilized in a stationary position (television, computers).  However, many of the messages put through the media try to promote health, healthy eating, exercise and the like.

 4.  In an article called  “All Together Now” in the Columbia Journalism Review the author describes a process by which newsrooms and newspapers are banding together in attempts thwart the death of the newspaper.  Since revenues are down and the internet poses a threat in that it grants access to the information much more expediently, a number of news outlets have began to collaborate.  Is this a last ditch effort to save the industry?  Will it work or just prolong the inevitable? 

 5.  In an article called “The Death of Slow Journalism” in The American Journalism Review the author Candy Cooper, talks about the death of in-depth journalism that often takes time to research and compose.  She talks about how news has grown away from in depth stories and how newspapers are going by the way of television; short stories enhanced with graphics and pictures.  Example: USA Today.  How might this trend have come about?  Does it reflect the publics insatiable need for quick news bites, fast action, and instant yet shallow stimulation?  What impacts might this have on society?