Oprah Pulls the Plug

After 25 years on the air, Oprah plans to quit her phenomenally successful TV show. The most popular TV personality, the most affluent media executive, the most influential celebrity, and the most recognized person in the world will walk away from it all on September 8, 2011. Oprah changed the face of television, offering a daily discussion of human nature and a electronic pulpit for her personal views. How will Oprah's monumental departure affect daytime television? Where will she appear in the future? Do you think she will slip behind the scenes of her multi-billion-dollar media empire or will she simply continue her talk show on her own Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)?

H1N1 Pandemic (or Panic!)

The Swine Flu (H1N1) has rapidly evolved from a rare strain of flu to a random worldwide killer! Only a month ago, health officials were patiently reminding people to get their annual flu shot, then suddenly, the media was reporting about healthy young people dying from the virus. After the panic hit flu clinics and the unprepared public health units ran short of the vaccine, frustrated citizens blamed politicians and politicians started pointing fingers at each other. So, what happened? Do you feel that the news media made the situation better or worse? Do you feel that you received the proper information about H1N1 in the appropriate way? In a public health pandemic, do you think the media is a source of critical information for preventing the spread of the virus or a catastrophizing megaphone that creates a hyperactive panic crisis?

The King of Pop is Dead

Since Michael Jackson died last week, the media has been alternating between canonizing him and crucifying him. When a celebrity dies---especially the most famous and most eccentric of them all---what do you think is the responsibility of the media? Do you think investigative journalists should focus more on the life (and career) of the celebrity or on the forensic details of the death? Do you think that a celebrity's death should prompt the media to explore all the deep, dark secrets hidden beneath the surface? Or should we just let them rest in peace and give them the respect that every person deserves?

Octo-Mom or Octo-Monster?

Ever since Nadya Suleman gave birth to octuplets through in-vitro fertilization, she has generated protests from pro-life activists, anti-media groups, and angry taxpayers, all who believe she's exploiting the system for her own personal benefit. The welfare mom already has six children living in impoverished conditions and, after making the moral decision not to destroy her remaining embryos, a case can be made that she is one of the most nurturing mothers in history. On the other hand, her decision could be seen as one based on selfish motives that has driven her to become the ultimate fertility symbol in our media-saturated world. Do you think her hiring a public relations firm proves that she's only in it for the public attention, or is it the only way she can make enough money to support fourteen children?

Celebrity Breakdowns

With Joaquin Phoenix's recent catatonic appearance on The Late Show, we're watching again another multi-media celebrity breakdown. From Britney shaving her head to Christian Bale attacking a film crew member, from Michael Richards' racist tirade to Amy Winehouse's public revolving door rehab, celebrities appear to be falling apart right in front of our eyes. Do you think it's our insatiable voyeurism that drives guerrilla photojournalists to track celebrities' every move? Or does the constant glare of the media spotlight force dormant mental illness in performers to rise to the surface? Or are you cynical enough to believe that it's all part of the 24/7 public relations machinery that keeps celebrities front and center, for better or for worse, to keep their star shining brightly?

President Barack Obama

Democratic Senator Barack Obama became the first black U.S. president defeating Republican John McCain by a close margin in the popular vote. Riding on a wave of popularity unmatched since John F. Kennedy swept to power in 1960, Obama promised change for a shell-shocked America after eight years of warmongering from the Bush Administration. How do you think the media influenced the election? How did media outlets support the young, fresh image of Obama while attacking the old, outdated ideas of McCain? How did the images of Tina Fey, Joe the Plumber, and Oprah impact public opinion? How do you think Barack Obama used the media to his advantage?

Crunching Numbers

The U.S. economy has dominated the news outlets for the past few months, with an inevitable crash always right around the corner. We see and hear all about sub-prime mortgage foreclosures, plummetting stock markets, investment bank collapses, and, most recently, a $700-billion bailout of Wall Street. The intricacies of the economy can be complicated at best, and labyrinthine at worst. As citizens of a capitalist democracy, do you feel we receive accurate information about how the economy works? Does the news media treat the complex economy with simplistic headlines? Will we ever understand the economy? Or can we trust it to politicians, economists and professors?