Television is a pervasive element in American society today and is seen as having a great deal of influence, especially over the young. Numerous concerns have been raised over the influence of television and the impact it has on American social values. That impact is often negative, though perhaps not intended to be so. Television from its beginning has presented itself as a reflection of American society rather than a means of shaping it, yet critics charge that television does shape values and often does so by negating the social values considered most acceptable by society at large. The excuse for doing so is that the fact that people watch shows that they are not offended by the values seen on television. However, many people are offended and have challenged television to promote values beneficial to society rather than those that could damage society. Television undercuts American values in many ways, three important areas evident today involve cultural distortions, political distortions, and the blurring of news and entertainment to create a false image of reality.
The issue was raised recently in a speech by Bob Dole during his run for the presidency when he blamed Hollywood and television for corrupting family values. His argument was seconded by critics such as Michael Medved, arguing "that widespread disenchantment about the destructive messages of today's movies, television, and music has resulted in diminished audiences for popular culture products" (Alexander & Hanson, 1997, 100). A poll showed that more than 70 percent of the public agreed with Dole, with many "in favor of further restricting what can be broadcast on television" (Alexander & Hanson, 1997, 106). As Alexander and Hanson (1997) note, many believe that television and other elements in the entertainment industry is "an enemy that assaults our values and corrupts our children" (Alexander & Hanson, 1997, 113). The reality is that this is less an a...