2016 As Prologue, Not Aberration

[Commentary] I believe the American people got pretty much the 2016 Presidential campaign coverage that Big Cable and Big Broadcasters wanted us to have. The elections made Big Media piles of money, required nothing from them in the way of resource-intensive investigative journalism, and were aimed spot-on to entertain, not to inform, us. Our civic dialogue descended into the gutter, literally, and politics turned into one big reality show extravaganza with little connection to the real business of democracy. And don’t think this was a one-time aberration. Without some serious changes to how our democracy conducts its civic dialogue, we can expect more of the same. 2016 is very likely the new norm.

[Copps served as a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission from May 2001 to December 2011 and was the FCC's Acting Chairman from January to June 2009. In 2012, he joined Common Cause to lead its Media and Democracy Reform Initiative.]