Understanding savvy news consumerism

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shake hands after the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 9, 2016.
Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty Images

Media coverage of the 2016 election has reached a fever pitch after over a year of campaigning by candidates on both sides of the aisle.

With online news sources, cable channels and radio stations all vying for a media consumer's attention, how are average Americans supposed to sift through what is actual journalism and what is opinion?

When satire and opinion programs are the only outlet by which voters get their information, what does that do for the state of the democracy which depends on an informed electorate?

MPR News host Kerri Miller spoke with two media experts about the nature of modern media and how news consumers can become more informed about the type of content they're relying on.

To hear the entire segment, select the audio link above.

Guests

Megan Fromm, assistant professor at Colorado Mesa University, also education initiatives director at the Journalism Education Association.

Renee Hobbs, professor of Communication Studies and director at the Media Education Lab at the University of Rhode Island.