Social sciences and technology | Information Systems homework help

Robert McChesney suggests that, with the help of the U.S. government, the Internet is succumbing to the control of a small number of gigantic, wealthy commercial organizations (and their owners). He indicates this makes the Internet less democratic, less egalitarian, and less cooperative than it ought to be. Do you agree with his concerns about the Internet? Why or why not?

McChesney also states that journalism is a public good. He says independent journalism is absolutely necessary for a democracy to exist and prosper. However, it is clear now that advertisers have found many other ways to get their messages to consumers. And where advertising still supports journalism, it is an increasingly corrupting influence (product placement and native advertising, for example). And so, he explains, it is time for the U.S. to come up with a different model of supporting journalism. Other countries, after all, have developed successful noncommercial models of providing journalism (and in some cases arts and entertainment media as well) to their publics. Do you agree with McChesney’s “public subsidy” plan for providing journalism to Americans? Why or why not?