Media
When we first started our exploration, we noticed how the press was biased in
its coverage of certain events. We noticed how important activities like
the establishment of Internet governance and the riots
in Seattle got hardly any coverage, while Elian Gonzales and Monica Lewinsky
got almost continuous, non-stop coverage.
In the course of our online discussions, we realized that the press is biased
-- that it cover events to favor the establishment -- and that it has been
doing so for a very long time. We discovered well-researched books, like
"Rich Media, Poor Democracy" which summarized this process, and warned
of the continuing consolidation now underway.
We also found respected figures like Walter Cronkite,
Norm Chomsky and Howard Zinn who were warning us of the dangers, as were
websites like the Institute for Public Accuracy,
Z Magazine and FAIR.
Conclusion
What's really going on here is that the Internet is allowing us to get our
own news based on our own priorities. And this is making the traditional
role of media obsolete. We can see this in the declining newspaper
subscriptions, and the declining TV news ratings.
In other words, the hierarchical distribution of news is being replaced by an
Information age news network -- networks of people interconnected through
communities via email and websites. And as the old media system continues to
decline, we will see more people getting their news through their personal
networks.
And that is driving changes in our Government.