“Dateline NBC” correspondent John Hockenberry challenged the public to be skeptical of American media, especially broadcast programs, during a speech Monday at the McCormick Tribune Forum.

He said viewers should be particularly critical of broadcast media after the Sept. 11 attacks.

“In light of the paralysis of the government and the media, you have to keep your critical thinking without them giving it to you,” Hockenberry said. “Civic change lies in the citizens of America.”

His speech to about 150 students and faculty Monday was the latest installment of the Crain lecture series. He used his experience as a broadcast journalist to reflect on broadcast media’s responsibility to inform the public.

Last week’s elections offered a prime example of the lack of depth in broadcast coverage, Hockenberry said.

“What was absent (from election coverage) was there was no commentator on the specifics on the programs each party had,” he said. “It was purely a discussion of tactics between the president and the Democrats.”

Hockenberry attributed weaknesses in broadcast programming to the dependence of the media and government on marketing, which changes the focus of programming.

“With the media and political system, it’s all marketing,” he said. “The media is dependent on those systems for that revenue, and that is a disturbing trend.”

Hockenberry illustrated this point by discussing the formation of the Northern Command, a government agency created last month to defend North America.

Broadcast media did not cover the creation of the government agency, Hockenberry said, which did not allow Americans to question why the government needed a separate department to defend North America.

“Does it strike anyone that from the time the department of defense to the creation of the Northern Command, it didn’t occur in the Pentagon to defend America,” Hockenberry said.

Hockenberry, who also has worked with National Public Radio and ABC News, said it was an honor to speak to NU students because of his relationship with Chicago. Hockenberry attended the University of Chicago and was a news broadcaster in the city.

Communication sophomore Courtney Dunn said she thought Hockenberry brought up some good criticisms of the media.

“I thought that it was really interesting,” Dunn said. “I didn’t know what to expect coming into it … but I thought that it was really informative.”

Medill graduate student Alison Ahmoye said the speech made her question her desire to become a broadcast journalist after graduate school.

“(His speech) raised a lot of questions regarding the profession I’m choosing,” Ahmoye said. “I want to be going into a profession that will be beneficial to the public, and he said it’s not really (beneficial).”

Dunn said the speech would influence the way she watches broadcast news.

“I think I will be a lot more skeptical,” Dunn said. “I will be looking more in depth about the information I watch. I want to dive into it and see what it’s all about.”