"The Role of the Media in a Democracy"

A former department head in The Associated Press, George A. Krimsky can give the inside scoop on the American newspaper industry (which he does in the book "Hold the Press"). But this list is based on excerpts that present a worldwide view of the relationship between democracy and a free press.

Here are all the word lists to support the reading of Grade 11 Unit 3's texts from SpringBoard's Common Core ELA series: Media in a Democracy, Daily Me, The Newspaper Is Dying, Facebook Photos Sting, Abolish high school football, Facing Consequences, Time to raise the bar, New Michigan Graduation Requirements, Why I Hate Cell Phones, Editorial Cartoons, Let's Hear It for the Cheerleaders, Girl Moved to Tears, In Depth, but Shallowly, Advice to Youth, The War Prayer, Gambling in Schools, How to Poison the Earth
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
    The danger in all this examination is to submerge the subject under a sludge of platitudes.
  2. dispassionate
    unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice
    The issue of whether a free press is the best communications solution in a democracy is much too important at the close of this century and needs to be examined dispassionately.
  3. leaven
    an influence working subtly to lighten or modify something
    A self-governing society, by definition, needs to make its own decisions. It cannot do that without hard information, leavened with an open exchange of views.
  4. articulate
    put into words or an expression
    Abraham Lincoln articulated this concept most succinctly when he said: "Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe."
  5. accountable
    responsible for one's actions
    In the wake of America's successful revolution, it was decided there should indeed be government, but only if it were accountable to the people.
  6. intercede
    act between parties with a view to reconciling differences
    The people, in turn, could only hold the government accountable if they knew what it was doing and could intercede as necessary, using their ballot, for example.
  7. interference
    the act of hindering or obstructing or impeding
    There is partial government subsidy to public television and radio in the United States, but safeguards protect it against political interference.
  8. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    While media with meager resources in most developing countries are still struggling to keep governments from suppressing news that Westerners take for granted, the mass media in America, Britain, Germany and elsewhere are preoccupied with their role as profitable businesses and the task of securing a spot on tomorrow's electronic superhighway.
  9. anachronism
    an artifact that belongs to another time
    In such an environment, truth in the service of the public seems almost a quaint anachronism.
  10. prerequisite
    something that is needed or obligatory in advance
    For example, when one talks about an independent media, it is necessary to include financial independence as a prerequisite, in addition to political independence.
  11. institute
    advance or set forth in court
    Though nearly 60 percent of the world's nations today are declared democracies--a monumental change from a mere decade ago--most of them have nevertheless instituted press laws that prohibit reporting on a whole array of subjects ranging from the internal activity and operations of government to the private lives of leaders.
  12. semblance
    the outward or apparent appearance or form of something
    If at least a semblance of truth-in-the public-service does not remain a motivating force for the mass media of the future, neither free journalism nor true democracy has much hope, in my opinion.
  13. sift
    check and sort carefully
    There is still a need today--perhaps more than ever--for identifying sense amidst the nonsense, for sifting the important from the trivial, and, yes, for telling the truth.
  14. constitute
    form or compose
    Those goals still constitute the best mandate for a free press in a democracy.
  15. admonition
    cautionary advice about something imminent
    George Washington's admonition, uttered at the Constitutional Convention, still stands: "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair."
Created on Fri Nov 14 11:41:28 EST 2014 (updated Sun Nov 16 00:39:18 EST 2014)

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