The Magic World of Nonfiction Television

Abstract

It is often said that television has altered our world, or even that television has replaced organized religion in providing the myths and symbols that unify and give meaning to our culture. There is no doubt that in the post-Second World War United States, television has become the primary source of information, cultural experience, and even political debate. In the United States today, 98 percent of all homes contain at least one television set, and the average number of hours in which the set is on, and so being "experienced" in some sense, exceeds the number of hours spent at work or school.

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