Discussion

NOTE: Your answer needs to quote both the articles and the textbook at least one time!

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According to Blanda (Blanda (2017) The Reason You Cant Stand News Anymore.pdf
), the “incentive structure of online news is fundamentally broken [and the] methods used to fund modern journalism simultaneously undermine trust in the news outlets.”

What does Blanda mean by “incentive structure” and what are the problematic funding methods he’s referring to (give at least one specific example)?
How is this affecting the public’s trust in news? Again, be specific.

According to Blanda, how has this erosion in trust affected the American political landscape?

Harris’s article about risk-averse behavior in Hollywood is almost ten years old, but this observation is certainly not outdated: “The movie itself has to be the brand. And because a brand is, by definition, familiar, a brand is also, by definition, not original.” (p. 5 of Harris (2011) – The day the movies died.pdf
).

Please identify TWO of the specific negative effects of movie branding that Harris describes in his article, and provide a specific example of each.
What is one “big picture” concern with the branding / lack of originality in Hollywood? (In other words: why should we care about this issue, beyond just being burned out on Marvel movies or annoyed with the never-ending Fast & Furious franchise?)

In your informed opinion: If, as these articles and the textbook suggest, the pressure to maximize profit and minimize risk (in other words: the “logic of safety”) is undermining the quality of media – from journalism to films, and I’m sure you can think of more examples – what is one potential way to improve the situation?

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NOTE: Your answer needs to quote both the articles and the textbook at least one time!