2. Contemporary Americans have more means of getting information and entertainment than ever before. What are the major media present in the United States today? How do these forms of
media interact with one another? How do they overlap? How are they distinct?
3. What is the role of media in American culture today? Some people argue that high-profile
cases in the 1990s, such as the criminal trial of O. J. Simpson, Bill Clinton's impeachment
proceedings, and the first Persian Gulf War helped fuel the demand for 24-hour news access.
What are some other ways that culture affects media? Conversely, how does mass media affect
culture? Do violent television shows and video games influence viewers to become more
violent? Is the Internet making our culture more open and democratic or more shallow and
distracted?
4. Though we may not have hover cars and teleportation, today's electronic gadgets would