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Associate professor of communication invited to Oxford Round Table |
| By
Vicki L. Kroll |
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Aug 1, 2007 |
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| Kilmer |
Dr. Paulette D. Kilmer, UT associate professor of communication, is one of 35 scholars invited to participate in the Oxford Round Table on “Ethical Sentiments: The Waning Trust in Government” at the University of Oxford in England Aug. 5-10.
The session will focus on the apparent decline in the ethical principles that define the actions of government.
“I am looking forward to discussing these vital issues with scholars from around the country,” said Kilmer, an expert on media ethics.
At the round table, she will present her paper, “A Crisis in Archetypes: How Framing U.S. Elections as Heroes Versus Villains Promotes Two-Valued Orientation, Encourages Corruption, and Erodes Public Trust” Tuesday, Aug. 7.
“Since democracy depends upon an informed, rational electorate, the decline of a press devoted to unearthing the truth and serving the public threatens civic well-being in the United States,” Kilmer said. “Traditionally, reporters and editors serve as watchdogs devoted to holding power brokers accountable.
“When they play circus mutts eager to entertain or herd dogs trained to prevent the multitude from straying into individual thinking, the public loses its objective window on the world,” she said.
Spinning “news” for political and financial gain has resulted in three major problems, according to Kilmer.
“Many people have lost interest in democracy because U.S. government officials have granted control of media to corporations without protecting citizen access to information and guaranteeing public discussion forums,” she said. “Elections have devolved into cartoon matches between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ candidates who live in ‘red’ and ‘blue’ states.
“Ultimately, the people stop trusting the government, and the media strays from its ethical compass.”
Her paper examines the relationship between government and the media from George Washington to George W. Bush. How changes in laws and big business dollars affect news coverage also are explored.
“Clever corporate behemoths and conservative extremists equate ‘news’ with settling grudges and shaping citizens’ thoughts,” Kilmer said. “Instead of focusing on leaders’ behavior and service in the public arena, these red-herring hawkers pry into personal lives, manufacture scandals, and shift the focus of discussion away from policy on to character.
“Openly biased news outlets, like the Fox network and MSNBC, reduce the news to clashes between good and evil.”
Founded in 1989, the Oxford Round Table brings together governmental, educational and business leaders to discuss national and international contemporary public policy issues. The Oxford Round Table promotes human advancement and understanding through the improvement of education.
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