Author has critical words for media

Friday, October 26, 2007

Local author and DePauw communications professor Jeff McCall addressed a crowd Thursday night to discuss his newest title "Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking control of mass media influences."

The event, held at St. Paul the Apostle near downtown Greencastle, focused on how mass media images affect morality.

"A society defines itself based on the stories it tells each other," said McCall, an occasional columnist for The Indianapolis Star who has made several appearances on the popular FOX television and radio program "The O'Reilly Factor."

"Television has become the primary storyteller of today's society and there are moral implications for our society if we base our identity on that."

McCall encouraged his audience to become more sophisticated and active media consumers, pointing to a recent poll suggesting that 75 percent of Americans believe that the media has, "Become a drag on our nation's moral fabric."

The author also cited new findings from the American Academy for Pediatrics, which characterizes excessive television viewing by children as a healthcare crisis.

In his concluding remarks, McCall called on every parent to remove the television sets from their children's bedroom and suggested that media literacy programs be added to traditional school curriculums.

"Viewer Discretion Advised," is available locally at Fine Print Books and nationally at www.Am azon.com

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