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"Big stories change media," wrote writer and cultural critic
Jon Katz on webzine Slashdot after September 11th. "Radio's high-water mark was World War II, and TV news
came of age after John F. Kennedy's assassination. Elvis and his death gave birth to modern mass-marketed
tabloid media. Increasingly, it appears the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the shooting
war that began last night have made more distinct another evolutionary leap in information: the Internet is
emerging as our most serious communications medium and clearly the freest and most diverse. Conventional
journalists are still obsessed with hackers and pornographers; still fuss about whether the Internet is
safe or factual. But increasingly, they steer readers to their websites for more in-depth information and
conversation."
To what extent do you agree with Katz's assertion? How does online news coverage differ from print, radio,
and television news coverage? How do online forms such as blogs and discussion boards contribute to our
understanding of current events? What, in your opinion are the significant advantages and disadvantages
of each? How have the events of September 11th altered media? Choose a current news event and consider
its coverage in various media. Write an essay in which you argue for or against Katz's point of view,
using your news story as a case study.
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