News Media Convergence: The Key to Synergy or Mediocrity?

Thanks to favorable regulatory changes and the lure of greater profits, newspapers, broadcasters, and cable outlets are merging in an effort to tap each other's resources in the print, TV, and Internet news arenas. Will merger mania pave the way for faster and more dynamic reportage? Or will a slackening of competition allow news to become bland and homogeneous? In this program, Al Tompkins, of The Poynter Institute; Bob Haiman, of The Freedom Forum; and others air their views with NewsHour correspondent Terence Smith. They also share concerns over the danger to democracy of a free press stripped of editorial diversity. (14 minutes)