Democracy cannot survive without a free and independent press, shining a bright light on powerful individuals and institutions. A fair marketplace cannot function without ethical media dispensing accurate and uncensored information. Decades ago the Society of Professional Journalists adopted a Code of Ethics, a noble document that is fraying in a media environment increasingly controlled by giant conglomerates.

"Today news has become just another entertainment format, where even war gets its own theme music," says Jeff Cohen. "Cable 'news' networks might be better described as 'reality-based entertainment' networks. The problem for ethical journalists is that they often work at outlets more beholden to ratings, advertisers and owners' interests than to the public interest."

Cohen knows his subject, having worked at all three cable news channels. He has been an on-air contributor and senior producer at MSNBC, has served as the co-host of CNN's "Crossfire," and appeared for years as a panelist on the Fox News Channel. He was a nationally-syndicated columnist, and has written a number of books, including Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media. Cohen is the founder of FAIR, the national media watch organization.

The Code of Ethics tells journalists to "avoid conflicts of interest," but in today's media, journalists (especially in television) find themselves pressured to promote the interests of their corporate parent. Also, whether on the business beat, at the Pentagon or elsewhere, reporters sometimes get so cozy with the officials and institutions they cover that independence is sacrificed. The Code instructs journalists to "distinguish news from advertising," but media outlets are increasingly blurring the distinction between real news and "news" dispensed because someone paid for it.

Media ethics -- and their erosion -- should not be of concern only to journalists or journalism students. It affects us all, as citizens and as consumers. Without honest information delivered free of hidden agendas and biases, how can we participate intelligently in democracy?

Among the topics Cohen can zero in on --

Economic News: Were journalists asleep at the wheel during the recent corporate crime wave that cost countless Americans their retirement savings and their jobs? Are journalists at mainstream media independent enough to toughly scrutinize corporations that directly or indirectly pay their salaries?

War and Peace: In countries like England and France, mainstream media present a thorough examination and debate about war, its impact and aftermath. In our country with its hallowed First Amendment, why do many journalists seem more like cheerleaders than reporters?

Politics: As corporate interests gain more and more power over American politics and government, are some political issues simply off-limits to mainstream journalism? What role do media play in the decline of public discourse in our country?

For more information, contact: lectures@jeffcohen.org.