The end of mass media: Coming full circle

There is a great historical irony at the heart of the current transformation of news. The industry is being reshaped by technology—but by undermining the mass media’s business models, that technology is in many ways returning the industry to the more vibrant, freewheeling and discursive ways of the pre-industrial era.

Until the early 19th century there was no technology for disseminating news to large numbers of people in a short space of ... Full Story »

Posted by Fabrice Florin - via Craig Newmark

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Review

Francis Lilly
3.7
by Francis Lilly - Jul. 7, 2011

Good journalism. Gives historical perspective of technology influence on communications. The statement "put control of the flow of information into the hands of a select few." is where I feel a lack of context. Key words in that phrase "control" "flow" and select few". Todays technology as gifted by the powers that be has "enabled access" to many (per this journalist: barriers to entry fall) t, but control remains in the hands of, not the many, rather still a few "gatekeepers" (see my opinion comment not included as part of the review). Simple example:sound bite word counts, partisan "scrubbing" of blog posts, and ultimate legal constraints (good and bad) by law enforcement are frequently used to "control" and even "suppress" legitimate and civil discourse because the gatekeeper's ideology is challenged. This string of thought can be a lengthyy one. CONTROL OF ACCESS is important.

Single most important tactic for controlling civilizations equals CONTROL of information via com-nets. Pamphlet vs internet social networks are no different re: power struggle to accomplish “control”. Issue not “adjustment”. RE: “News is also becoming more diverse as publishing tools become widely available”. Deceptive. In “wiki” world, word/concept “news” is ultimate descriptor for nebulosity. For “diverse”, substitute” nebulous”. Verifiable fact, and elusive concept “truth”, are subject to distortion throughout life cycle from inception to reception (the act of mentally accepting or approving). (Chaos is also a strategy) Internet searches give one all the “information” one can handle. “Information” can be facts, rumors, data, doctored data, truthful statements, lies, rarely unbiased, rarely agenda free, used for behavior modification (especially tragic in the political circus), etc. It’s information overload, propaganda and psyops . (I know there is entertainment factor, for those who have dropped out). Unchanged: power broker’s mission to keep control. “Gatekeepers”. Conventional media’s “trouble adjusting” answered apriori: “because people who are accustomed to power will be COMPLEMENTED by social networks in different forms.”( see how super media, ie Rupert uses social pick-pocketing to cause self-destruction of moral imperatives advocates. Power people project herding cats image(it is a strategy). Long run they will neuter “effect” of hero’s like Assange by dilution, building box canyons, dis-information, suppression via legislation by the corporate state in Washington. True enough, lots of chatter out there. Sadly individuals still go to the sources that reinforce their inner biases and reject facts that contradict them. Gatekeepers are working furiously (through technological filters, legislative trickery, and the use of Meyers-Briggs in hiring) to get the locks in place. After all they areTHE Gatekeepers. Remember that quaint concept, Net Neutrality? There’s a new meaning to “know your enemy” when all information ends up in the enemy’s servers.

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Francis's Rating

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3.7

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3.7
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