Benjamin Franklin and Thomas
Jefferson both alluded to the fact that Democracy (and its associated freedoms)
is reliant upon its citizens being well informed. One would think that almost twenty years
into the information age this would be easy – never before has information has
been so readily accessible. But perplexingly,
this sea of information is filled with millions upon millions of voices. (It is
currently estimated that there are nearly 50 billion pages on the Internet!)
Anyone
with a $50 cell phone can make a video. An internet connection can enable a
free blog. $20.00 buys a domain name and web server. In short, anyone can add
their voice, information, ideas, point of view, or blatant attempt to
misrepresent the truth easily into this sea of information. Meanwhile, our own
ability to sift through this depth of information (and misinformation) is diminished
by lack of time due to job, family, etc., and a predisposition to, frankly,
more enjoyable pass times.
In the Viet Nam war era, one could
get a fairly good view of what was happening in the country and the world by
watching the evening news and scanning a newspaper. The public clashes between
journalists and other entities gave us reassurance that our news was accurate
and truthful. We felt we could make our decisions, especially as related to
politics, on this information solely.
This is not the case now. Many
of our publicly aired newscasts are biased. Some have their own obvious politically
motivated messages, such as Fox
News, while others are likely more motivated by pleasing their advertisers.
A few, such as PBS, don’t accept money from corporations and claim they have no
political views, providing perhaps our best hope of getting accurate, unbiased
information.
Increasingly we are getting our
news from the Internet. A 2012
survey by Pew Research indicated a rise in online news and decline in broadcast news. Further, 64% of Americans would prefer to get
their news from an unbiased news source, but 26% would prefer to get their news
from organizations holding similar political views.
Why It Matters
Just as
Hitler did in WW2, many governments have attempted to control the media in
order to control their populations. Recent examples of this include Syria, Iran
and China. Likewise, savvy advertisers and those running political campaigns just as badly want to control our thoughts.
It is evident that our access
to the truth of what is really
happening that will help to ensure our freedom in the future. An informed
populace remains the key to an effective democracy. But now that the shape and
form of our information has changed so dramatically, we must struggle to find
the truth in a sea of (mis-) information.
For example, I have noticed on
FaceBook an unending cycle of graphics posted regarding Obama’s
recent Executive Order on gun control, usually with a grim-faced person
stating how they can have their gun when they pry it from their cold, dead
fingers, or something to that effect. More called for Obama’s impeachment, and
some, even, for his assassination. However, when I asked a few of these people
(and yes, it took great courage!) why they were against his efforts, in every
case they said something to the effect that he was trying to take away their
guns. When I shared with them the actual content of his Executive Order, they
quickly replied that this was just the first step, just the next move in the chess
game of his conspiracy to establish the new world
order. (No doubt, some friend of the NRA has been working overtime to churn out
those catchy graphics!)
From my research it appears that none of these beliefs can be substantiated by fact. The point is that it has
become very easy to manipulate our feelings about a certain topic. If someone
can mix a bit of truth with a clever lie and play on our fears, turn it into a catchy, FaceBook sized graphic, it’s not too
much of a stretch to believe that many of us would believe anything. A cleverly prepared photo with many
shares may be more effective at swaying us to think a certain way than any
other media ever has – and that this is all happening while we are “enjoying”
ourselves makes it even more insidious.
So, where do you get your news from?
For the record, I do support the
2nd Amendment, I am a veteran, I like Obama (mostly), and own a gun; I don’t plan
on giving it up.
Recommended:
And try this Google Search
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