Publication: Doing Well and Doing Good: How Soft News and Critical Journalism Are Shrinking the News Audience and Weakening Democracy–And What News Outlets Can Do About It
Loading...
Open/View Files
Date
2000
Authors
Published Version
Published Version
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy
The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you.
Citation
Patterson, Thomas E. "Doing Well and Doing Good: How Soft News and Critical Journalism Are Shrinking the News Audience and Weakening Democracy–And What News Outlets Can Do About It." Shorenstein Center Paper, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 2000.
Abstract
Soft news and critical journalism, whatever their initial effect, may now be hastening the decline in news audiences. Evidence also suggests that soft news and critical journalism are weakening the foundation of democracy by diminishing the public’s information about public affairs and its interest in politics. Can the news media do well and also do good? Can they meet their need to attract audiences and also fulfill their responsibility to inform the public? In this report, we will present evidence that suggests these objectives are compatible—indeed, are mutually reinforcing.