Homework

In the interest of minimalizing the inevitable damage to be done to Saturday's RT III Media Panel by its crappy moderator, we are presenting potential audience members with some pertinent reading material which may aid them in following and/or contributing to the conversation. The reading assignments are as follows:

• Eric Alterman, "Out of Print
  The death and life of the American newspaper" The New Yorker March 31, 2008



• Bill Moyers, "Is the Fourth Estate a Fifth Column? Corporate media colludes with democracy’s demise" In These Times July 11, 2008



• David Simon, "Does the News Matter To Anyone Anymore?" Washington Post January 20, 2008



• Rem Rieder, "Sam Zell's Bad Medicine" and "No Joy in Zellville" American Journalism Review June/July 2008 Or just Google around for more on Sam Zell's downsizing of the Tribune Co.



• David Winkler-Schmit's frequent contributions to the Gambit's BlogofNewOrleans.com



• Kevin Allman's even more frequent contributions to the Gambit blog as well as his commentary on the news business at his personal blog.



• Eli Ackerman's serial reporting on the NOAH scandal at We Could Be Famous



• Lee Zurik's series of investigative reports on NOAH at WWLTV.com



• Any copy of the Times-Picayune's Monday "Viewpoint" page. (In New Orleans, old newspapers are readily found by cracking open any nearby floodwall)



• Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 in its entirety... just for good measure.