#3: Commentary, Academics, Diversity

When I think of fields dominating the media, from social to print to television, I immediately think of Political Science. Coming out of such a major election, I can't tune into any platform without being bombarded by all things politics. So. much. politics. I also think of Sociology, particularly when it comes to the many human rights movements taking place in our country. In both of these arenas, though, we're slowly starting to see less representation of the "old white guy" and instead are being presented with more people of color, different genders, more complex backgrounds, etc.—a necessary step in a positive direction.

Fields that appear to be more "under-the-radar" include Art and English/Writing. I received my Bachelors in Interactive Media (with Journalism and Studio Art as minors) and yet I rarely see a whole lot of positive representation of the arts in the media. It seems as though people assume artists and writers shouldn't fall into the realm of public intellectuals, but in reality, artists and writers are creating their own discourse that addresses major issues of today; in my last blog post, I mentioned Ai Weiwei as a public intellectual, as he creates work that certainly lends a voice to the political public sphere. He is certainly not the only one. 

I feel that perspectives being offered up in the media differ so much between each sphere. Every topic in every sphere has a range of people voicing a range of concerns. Your own view will weigh heavily on how diverse perspectives appear to be, particularly if your own views aren't being as widely discussed. 

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