The State (and Future) of American Journalism

[Commentary] Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission released an exhaustive report on the current media landscape authored by former Washington Monthly editor Steven Waldman. There’s general agreement in the press that the report does a great job of explaining the problems journalism faces, and agreement that it doesn't offer much in the way of substantive solutions to those problems. Liberals see the latter as a fault. Conservatives see it as a virtue, and indeed the report has actually been praised on the right. Unrealistic expectations, however, have led both sides to miss what’s important in the recommendations. So, over the next few days we'll be posting sections of the report and providing a little additional analysis of this important issue. First up, a chapter on the media food chain and what recent disruptions to it might mean for the broader society.