Spring Break
Speakers discuss election and role of 'new media'
Janhavi Purohit
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: News
Carpini said that this 'new media' is important for college students, who are more likely to go online, look at web sites and read blogs than other people.
According to Carpini, an important "life skill" is learning to view the media with critical eyes.
"One of the things you hope you learn at college is how to consume information, whether it's a book you're reading for class or an article, how to consume it in a way that you can take what's being said and critically evaluate it, take the best of it, question the parts you don't trust, look at what the evidence is-that skill is not just a skill for the classroom, but for life," Carpini said.
Malpass added that college newspapers also play a substantial role in politics for college students.
"When I went to college, I read the college paper, and most of my friends only read the college paper," Malpass said. "They have a tremendous impact when you have an audience using only one outlet."
Carpini said that this election was an important one for students to participate in.
"It's important, it's going to affect the future, and not only in terms of choosing the president and who's in congress and senate, but also if young people turn out in large numbers, they're going to be viewed as a crucial constituent that politicians are going to pay attention to," Carpini said.
Carpini encouraged students to vote, saying that despite the view that politics may feel "uninteresting and sometimes even dirty and irrelevant," it is important to think beyond the individual level and to act as a group.
"This group of college-aged students today could be a very powerful cohort that really becomes an important player in the direction of politics," Carpini said.
A course on media and the elections will be held spring term for interested students, according to Knowles.
According to Carpini, an important "life skill" is learning to view the media with critical eyes.
"One of the things you hope you learn at college is how to consume information, whether it's a book you're reading for class or an article, how to consume it in a way that you can take what's being said and critically evaluate it, take the best of it, question the parts you don't trust, look at what the evidence is-that skill is not just a skill for the classroom, but for life," Carpini said.
Malpass added that college newspapers also play a substantial role in politics for college students.
"When I went to college, I read the college paper, and most of my friends only read the college paper," Malpass said. "They have a tremendous impact when you have an audience using only one outlet."
Carpini said that this election was an important one for students to participate in.
"It's important, it's going to affect the future, and not only in terms of choosing the president and who's in congress and senate, but also if young people turn out in large numbers, they're going to be viewed as a crucial constituent that politicians are going to pay attention to," Carpini said.
Carpini encouraged students to vote, saying that despite the view that politics may feel "uninteresting and sometimes even dirty and irrelevant," it is important to think beyond the individual level and to act as a group.
"This group of college-aged students today could be a very powerful cohort that really becomes an important player in the direction of politics," Carpini said.
A course on media and the elections will be held spring term for interested students, according to Knowles.
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