The question is raised in part because of the growing apathy apparent in the electorate and because of opinion polls which indicate that "many citizens--perhaps the majority--live in a state of confusion and ignorance about government and political issues" (Bennett 1). Bennett begins with the statement that the news, while all around us, is also superficial. Television news dominates today, and television news in particular tends toward the superficial. Even on stories of substance, television news only has a limited time in which to present the facts. In spite of this, however, we are more and more dependent on the news. The problem as Bennett sees it is that the media is not serving its function because the electorate is not well informed. The people tend to be in a passive and uninformed state, bas
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