TV or Not TV--Boob Tube or You Tube

The recent CNN/You Tube Democratic presidential candidates' debate was an interesting experiment, but it was not the "revolutionary event in democracy" as it was billed. It seemed like just another example of the mass media trying to attract new media/You Tube viewers, while trying to minimize the importance of the new media by keeping the You Tube videos small and in the background. TV critic Tom Shales of the mass media, Washington Post, had an insightful review on the TV missteps of the debate at the following web address:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/23/AR2007072302122.html

The new media will keep taking away viewers, readers, and listeners from TV, newspapers, movies, radio, and the recording industry until the mass media learns how to co-exist and play better with the new media.