Corporations and the News

[Ancalagon]

Alrighty, I was in my Journalism class and I had an interesting lecture with my Profesor. When the Founding Fathers created the Constitution, the idea for a Free Press in the Democracy was based on the idea that the Government would not be able to exhibit any control on the Press. The Press, in turn, was to act as a watchdog for the citizens of the US and alert them if the Government did anything to abuse it's power or other unsavory acts.

 

Though we have changed in technology by leaps and bounds since then, the role of the Press has not changed. My argument is this, Corporate control of the Press is a far bigger problem than Government control (well, no poo if it isn't THAT obvious) and though it still serves as a watchdog, because of the modern corporate drive for profit, it cannot coexist with the pursuit of truth.

 

My second argument is this, when the printing press was created it caused a revolution in ideas and in the way people communicated. It challenged Politics, Religion, and the intent of the Monarchies in Europe. Is there then a need for a second revolution in the Press because of the Corporate Control? If so, what shall be our Printing Press? Obviously, one cannot use books and papers anymore. Those are subject to edititors under the pay of the corporations. The Internet, in my opinion, is the new 'Printing Press'. It is still unregulated and it's size and potenial are limitless. I would like to hear any thoughts on this or comments as well as arguments (if you really do like having the Corporations lie to you).

[vandorssen]

I think I agree with your suppositions. And if the answer to your question is not obvious, here it is: The internet. Although large corporations and the government can censor or otherwise interfere with almost every other form of communication, the internet is knowledge that is unfiltered.

 

This is both good and bad. Information that is not verified or easily verified is often taken as fact, where it might be a stretch of the truth, or an utter lie. Other times the information can be misrepresented, i.e. I post a quote where some political leader said “I believe… in killing babies.” Taken on its own, the previous quote would seem to be an abhorrent statement and the person who said it should be disemboweled or something. But that might not be what he said at all, or at least what the intent is.

 

The problem with the internet as a communications provider (or news provider) is that it is filled with the types of inaccuracies and what not stated above.

[Marxist ßastard]

This here intraweb is a completely free medium? Don't that just beat all...

[Malchik]

Well the problem with the internet is that you don't know who is posting the information. In consequence there may be hidden agendas galore. Government misinformation and even corporate lies for that matter can be put into play from apparently innocent parties.

 

What is certain is that internet users are better placed to access overseas information. Finding out what the rest of the world is saying about US policy for instance from the rest of the world rather than through US media is quite eye-opening. The fact that more and more people are doing this will mean that a percentage of US government flannel will have to be cut. I actually believe it is beginning to happen too (let us hope). As you know, you can't fool all of the people all of the time.

 

But as for any newspaper or tv organisation, someone has to be in charge. How can anyone tell how honest, or trustworthy, or independent they really are? Blackmail and intimidation can operate at all levels. It's just a fact of life.

 

Answer - never trust any information that you can't double check.

[Mojlnir]

The internet is still free, but only just. Your email can be watched. The now defunct Carnivore program, an insidious initiative of DARPA, which used to be under the control of John Poindexter, was designed to code on specific words with in every email transmitted over the internet. When a specific code was identified, the email was copied and sent merrily along its way with neither the sender or receiver any the wiser.

 

If that program was stopped, then take a couple of seconds to imagine the ones that are up and operating. If you trust your government (particularly the hyper-paranoid intelligence community) then you are sadly misguided. Not to mention that when you log on to "bad" websites your IP address is logged and then you get followed around the Internet.

 

The technology is everywhere on the Internet, popping up in adware and spyware, not to mention trojans that monitor keystrokes.

 

Enjoy the Internet my friends....

 

 

Big Brother is watching.

[cmac]

Enjoy the Internet my friends....

 

 

Big Brother is watching.

[Two silnced pistol shots]

 

[Mojlnir slumps to the floor]

 

[Man in black suit emerges, "Nothing to see here, folks. Just move along. Nothing to see here."]

[thanateros]

As for media sources and the internet, anything written from a US perspective is garbage. Megamedia giants like CBS and CNN are still extremely politically oriented and will only tell you what they want to tell you in the way that they want to tell you. I remember recently reading a headling on CNN.com about "US Vows Revenge" in response to the attack on US troops in Iraq. The first thing I thought was 'That's a load of crap, I didn't vow revenge, I'd rather see them run the US out of the country for all I care'. I have to look at all US sources with a more critical eye than anything other source of information; it's jam packed with propaganda.

 

There really is no valid media source for information if you are looking for the absolute truth as to what is going on in the world. Part of the reason why I'm learning to read/write french is because they have a longstanding history in the middle east and I've found that whenever I read an article regarding that area it sounds less biased.

 

So if you're an american, I suggest you pick up another language and get a different perspective of the what the world thinks about us (that and this crap about us not learning second languages it completely elitist; the public school system should require fluency in a second language before high school graduation).

[Zmid]

There really is no valid media source for information if you are looking for the absolute truth as to what is going on in the world.

That's certainly true. Whenever I want to get accurate info (for example, about the situation in Iraq), I actually search for as many different sources as possible and try and strip away the bull. I'm never quite sure if I'm entirely successful, though. :lol:

[Mojlnir]

Always with the shooting of the messenger. :(

 

 

 

 

Freedom outside the confines of ones own head...

 

R.I.P

 

 

:rip:

[Guest]

If you don't trust the government, don't trust the media, don't trust the corporations, don't trust the Internet, and don't trust each other, do you only belive what you can see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears? If you do, then you are the ones who are misguided.

 

By the way, about the "paranoid intelligence community", I have two more arguments for you.

 

1) It sounds to me as though you are far more paranoid than IntelComm is. "Big Brother is watching"...what are you, schizophrenic?

 

2) Have you ever stopped to consider what would have happened without the government, and IntelComm in particular? Think of the atrocities that would have occured, the cities destroyed, the lives ruined forever, without these people who work around the clock for us.

 

I agree with the fact you cannot trust the corporation-controlled media, but you should show some respect to your government and your country.