Bill Moyers: The Public Mind

The ubiquitous Bill Moyers, currently journalism's brightest (and perhaps busiest) star returns following his successful The Power of Myth and The World of Ideas series with a new four-part overview of "image and reality in America." We examined the third program in the series, "Illusions of News," which updates the theme launched in Daniel Boorstin's groundbreaking work The Image. Beginning with the assertion that the "market determines the news," Moyers interviews various media critics (including authors Ben Bagdikian and Todd Gitlin), and personalities (Lesley Stahl of CBS News and Fred Friendly) to determine the extent of the problem. The idea of news as entertainment is fairly old hat, but what makes this program so fascinating is the revelation that television news is now the victim of its own showmanship. Politicians have discovered the power of the image, and no longer bother with issues--whether the news teams want them or not. TV news is now at the mercy of Presidents and other politicians who decide exactly what they want the public to see. This is electronic journalism at its most meaningful, made even more compelling by host Moyers, who has the honesty to question the apparatus which he freely admits provides his own bread and butter. The other three programs in the series are: Consuming Images, Leading Questions, and The Truth About Lies. Highly recommended. (Available from: PBS Video, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314-1698; 1-800-424-7963.)