Old Media/New Media is my second-most favorite book (next to Kern-Foxworth's book) for this class. The concise, comprehensive and insightful contents of Dizard's book should keep this book in the curricula for some time. For instance, Dizard spends several pages on the politics of the ever-widening gap between the information rich and information poor. Knowledge really is power (and increasingly so) in a society (like ours) where those in positions of political and/or economic strength also control the flow of information.

Dizard believes ''the guarantee of equitable access to advanced information resources is the most urgent issue we face'' and that, ultimately, the government should step in as they did with the telephone in 1934's Communication Act. This proclaimed ''the right of universal access by all citizens to electronic communication networks.'' I have to admit I was a bit stunned (but glad) to hear this announcement. It's one thing to hear Al Gore speak about this issue for the millionth time and another thing for the government to have actively subsidized and supported universal access to these resources. It's encouraging, really.

Dizard has a compelling point about the influence of TV on how people interact with each other. His assertion that we have let the television become our 'storyteller' scratches the surface. Who are the traditional storytellers in our culture? The elderly, now ignored and irrelevant -- why? Because we've got our 30-minute morality and sitcom fix to teach us everything we need to know. Granted, Dizard does an excellent job of analyzing the big picture overall, but this is one area I wish he'd dedicated a bit more time on.

Dizard worries that reliance on new media is a threat to social cohesion because the shared experience of mass media serves as a kind of Elmer's glue holding us together. I understand what Dizard s getting at but I m not so sure a return to a hegemonic, marginalizing and specious media structure/format is a good idea. Rather than denouncing market niches, the key to strong social cohesion must come in an ability to integrate experience and information successfully. Information overload cannot continue indefinitely if people are to keep their sanity.

How to negotiate this death trap? Luckily I don't have to answer that question today, but I think Dizard should have given it some consideration. He obviously put a great deal of critical thought into this book, and it shows. However, more reflection on possible solutions to the issues presented would have made the book even better.