[originaltext]The Media in the U.S.The media plays a vital role as a guardian

The Media in the U.S.
The media plays a vital role as a guardian of U.S. democracy. U.S. media have traveled a long road since the first newspaper was published in 1690. Within 50 years, magazines also began appearing in several major American cities. The advent of commercial radio at the beginning of the 20th century ended print’s monopoly of the media in America. Television, an even more powerful medium, entered the scene shortly after World War II. Interactive media, fueled by the advance of digital technology and the growing convergence of the computer, telephone and cable television, represent the principal trend of the 21st century.