Michael Schudson

About the author: Michael Schudson is a professor of communication and sociology at the University of California, San Diego, and a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He is the author of several books on the news, popular culture, and politics, including The Power of News.

New media forms such as talk shows and electronic town meetings have the potential for improving political communication and democratizing presidential campaigns, but they could also prove dangerous. One danger is that people will use airing of their opinions on talk shows as a substitute for real action on the issues that concern them. Another danger is that politicians will use these electronic town meetings to manipulate public decisions while bypassing deliberative decision-making bodies, including Congress. Though many credit the new media with...