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There would be a market for a cable news station that is more responsive to the American public's news interests, a station that makes viewers feel like they are decision-makers in the news reporting process, or civic journalism.
My idea for a cable news station would be guided by the motto "You decide, we report". That is, the American people would vote, perhaps weekly, on the stories that they wanted to hear about (over a secure Internet connection, allowing one vote per person), and which stories they wanted discarded. Hence, if the American people became tired of hearing about Michael Jackson and Laci Peterson, they could vote these stories out of the news. People could vote on the kinds of programs they wanted to see and the hosts and guests they wanted to see.
The principle behind such a station is that it would make news viewers into participants, and not just consumers. That is not to say that other cable news stations do not serve their useful purposes. They do, but many people feel alienated by the media because they feel like they are powerless to control the news agenda.
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