How has the rise of cable tv, talk radio and the internet effected political discourse in the United States?
951845
It's become much more polarized.  Rather than genuine discourse, people rely on catchy phrases that often mischaracterize what is really meant.
1008471
absolutely! we know that the average person is just not very educated, particularly in politics, so they do not know any better but to get their news from TV. Fox news, run by wealthy right-wing rupert murdoch, has done enough marketing to figure out how to be hugely popular, and now has become a mass propaganda machine for the ruling party -- damm! this sounds like the old USSR doesn't it? if you want some details of this see the references below. they are disturbing but i believe it is important for people to understand the MSN and exactly how much news is skewed in this country. It's not that Americans are stupid, they are just victims of a faulty system of news which feeds them misinformation; think of it as a bad side-effect of capitalism.
2841
I'm guessing that you are referring to the "News" media.  If so, it simply evolves with new things being added and old things dropping away.\n\nThere was a time when hot news stories were sent by telegraph wire message.  During the last month Western Union has dropped wire message service.\n\nAt one time newspapers were the primary source of news, today they have lots of competition and now you can email your letter to the editor.  \n\nWhat a great world!
498948
What about something related to how blogs have changed online communication and social groups?
467126
mass media law is the study of the American judicial system and its impact upon and interaction with the mass media dissemination of news, opinions, entertainment, education, and advertising.
847846
Oil imports to the US and the direct and indirect impacts upon US politics.  (Lots of info available)\n\nPopulation trends in the world and regionally.  Especially Europe.\n(big Islamic trend) CIA source books are available a great source\n\nMoney invested in ground breaking research (nano tech for example) Lots of source material
933835
Freedom of speech is not a problem in the USA.  It's alive and well.  Of course, we have our whackos too.  That is, some people believe so strongly in their opinions, that they leave no room in their minds for the opinions of others.  These types, tend to express their opinions as fact rather than opinion.  The next step is threatening others who have differnig opinions.  Happens everywhere; or so I thought.  I didn't think that was unique to the USA.  \n\nPeople in the USA also blast their politicians.  Happens almost every day.  You may not see the bulk of it in the news where you live (UK ?) but if you lived in the USA, you'd see and hear more than you might think was possible.  \n\nJust reading the questions and answers in this forum's Religion and Politics categories is enough to wear me out.  Too bad all the energy devoted to this can't be used to power our vehicles.  Would help my budget some.
1149073
I believe that casual sex is definitely on the rise.  I'm sure myspace and other networking sites have contributed(how much, I can't say).  I would say that television and movies have had a greater effect on it than anything.  The fact that movies and TV shows glorify having "casual sex" would lend me to believe that it is definitely leading our society in that direction.
89481
(I'm assuming the question about conservatives is merely an example of the type of speech you are really asking about.)\n\nIt's because reasoned political discourse is rare in our society.  Intelligent debate has long ago been drowned out by name-calling, sound bites, and invective hurled from both sides of the political spectrum.  When you have the Bill O'Reillys and the Michael Moores casting the other side as traitors, crooks, liars, and hypocrites, is it any wonder that the general populace does the same?  \n\nThere is no willingness to believe that the other side has good intentions, or might have good ideas.  The Right has done a wonderful job turning "Liberal" into a sneer word, while the left increasingly says "Conservative" with a roll-eyed "You know how *they* are" expression.  \n\nSo let me see if I can sum up politics in America as succinctly as I can.  Republicans are evil, authoritative bastards who want to ram Christian living down the nation's throat while simultaneously raping the environment, turning business loose to squeeze every last dime out of the poor man, cutting any aid to the needy, and giving the rich whichever laws they can pay for.  Democrats are evil, tree-hugging socialists who want to spread homosexuality, tax the rich man into oblivion so they can give free money to welfare mothers, burn the flag, have free abortions for all, and they want God dead.  Moderate politicians are those who haven't been entirely bought and paid for yet, while moderate voters are just indecisive wimps who haven't seen that Our Side is superior in every way.  The fringe parties like the Greens and the Constitution Party are just nutballs that don't matter anyway.
1174051
Politics is everywhere.  It effects all our lives to some degree.  It has become a topic that "should not be talked about in a bar".?  Sadly, the biggest place people feel like talking about it, is now a "No talking Politics/Religion."  Soon there'll be "No talking about Computers in the bar."  \nPeople need to realize before discussing Politics, that there's so much to know, noone has all the answers, all the correct one's anyway.  More important, we need to be able to discuss Politics without letting our emotions get the best of us.  We should be discussing Politics everywhere, with an open mind, and with the goal of learning & educating others.\nStaying awake through C-Span is difficult, even for Senators and Reps, you'll see them nodding off, picking their nose, passing notes, flirting with interns.  If they speak, it's the same monotone emotionless ramble, putting most to sleep or change the channel.  Unless Ted Kennedy has the mic, he can provide hours of entertainment.  Especially after he's returned from lunch, nice and loaded.  He's usually on the wrong side of issues, his outburst at least wake up the room.  I'll never get bored of his "look up from the paper, remove the glasses and point with them!  The crowd is like, "oh shit, lookout, Teddy really means business this time."  He really only does that to stop the room from spinning, HA.  For all his faults, I do love the guy.  \nThe point is, Politics has become soo broad, it's a full time job, just keeping up w/ US politics, nevermind world politics.  And, If you don't know or can't grasp history, current events will really "F" you up.  People forget history, that's a big reason why so many get upset when discussing even the simplist issues.  So instead of being open minded, they close themselves off and refuse to continue the discussion or get into a fight over it.  Ironically, these people rarely consider themselves close minded.  Our competitive nature has turned "discussing Politics" into "Debating Politics", and nobody wants to lose a battle of knowledge.  That's why the uneducated, change subject, fire off hateful comments or repeat the same thing over and over, is a common defence to cover up their insecurities of "Not knowing/having info", but still trying to win the debate, this does nothing but get both parties a warning from the bartender and give Political Bar Discussions a bad name.
123958
I actually think the media has much more of a conservative slant.  Considering that most main-stream media is owned by giant corporations, this is not surprising.\n\nMay I ask how you manage to fit so much information into your questions without going into the additional details?
372596
-the stock market crash\n-The New Deal\n-FDR trying to stuff the Supreme Court\n-The debate on whether America should join the new European war\n\nLots more than that too :)
926114
the media with a lot of propaganda\n\nand rich people
582727
At one time the media advocated certain ideas and directly  influenced and shaped popular ideas. They seem to support positions with rational discussion.  Now days at least TV media seems to take a more indirect approach. The impression I get is that there is always two views to everything and that people feel so passionately about their views  that a debate of ideas at a rational level is not possible. \n\nDont have any articles that support my point of view, but here aresome articles on media influencing popular opinions.
1066170
I know of one, Air America Radio.  \n\nWhat I love about this observation is we liberals always talk about the "conservative media" and the conservatives talk about the "liberal media".
1114985
Hogwash.\n\nSlavery, Racism, Jim Crow, Lynchings were the invention of the liberal media.\n\nJust ask Tex, the Klan, and any other Republican.
539557
The media is owned by liberals and there agenda is to change America into a socialist country, so they only show what would help their cause, The big wigs that own the news media are Democratic liberals, they also own all of the newspaper media so that's why the newspapers are slanted also. So most of the time you can't believe what you see on TV or read in the papers, you have to remember there is probably another side to the story, the side they don't want you to see, and you witnessed this process so be where. Thanks for telling us.