The Media, Public Policy... and the Age of Indifference
Saturday, March 25, 8:30 - 5:00
Thornton Auditorium, Terrance Murphy Hall
University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis Campus
10th & LaSalle, downtown Minneapolis
Find out more and register online!
co-presented by:
Leadership in Public Policy Program, University of St. Thomas
Citizens League
Minnesota Newspaper Foundation
Society of Professional Journalists
Minnesota Association of Government Communicators
Minnesota Council for Social Studies
From the earliest eras of our nation's history, the importance of a knowledgeable electorate has been recognized. Yet young adults increasingly are tuning out news about public affairs, politics and the activities of our government. Indeed, the statistics are alarming. Fewer than 28% of Americans in their mid-30s say they read a newspaper every day, compared with 74% in 1972. The average CNN viewer is about 60 years old. Only 11% of young people rank the news as a major reason for logging onto the Internet. Consequently, many media outlets have reduced their coverage of "hard news," instead emphasizing crime, sports and popular culture. What is the impact when an entire generation tunes out?
- Are students learning about workings and activities of government in school?
- How deeply are schools impacted by what is popular?
- How important is what students want to learn, and what their parents want them to be taught?
- How well are schools equipping students to be good citizens?
Events Overview | Upcoming Events | Past Events | Event Series