Is it really that simple?
On the side of the LA 65 North highway there is a billboard that advertises an iPad app that specializes in “TV for me”. TV that only shows content and advertisements targeted to specific demographics like age and race and gender. And TV that costs more than regular cable or Netflix.
I don’t know what to think after reading Brian Carroll’s report on journalism’s current transition from print to web. It’s inspiring that more people are able to discuss news and actively participate in content creation. However, I fear the potential results of something that Carroll only touched on lightly. In the beginning of the chapter there was a brief observation that modern news stories are moving away from the traditional “push media” format – where general information of pertinent events is distributed to a large heterogeneous audience – to a “pull media” format where the unashamedly biased content that is produced pulls interested parties in.
The chapter only discussed the positive impacts of this shift. While I agree that it can be positive that hyper-engaged niche communities are developing around interesting content, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it is amazing or revolutionizing media for the better.
My problem with this, and with the “TV for me” app is that it encourages an “I’m one of the crowd” mentality. But it’s rarely the crowd of the global community. It’s the crowd of like-minded people typically deaf to other people’s perspectives.
This is a bit of a slippery slope but who’s to say that this shift of news from print sources to more socially-connected ones with active members won’t lead to extremist group-selective news? Greenville, South Carolina has seen a major increase in Ku Klux Klan membership over the summer. During the first week of classes here at Furman University a burning cross was found on campus. In this case, maybe more socially-connected media has contributed to a larger, more active audience for the worst?
Media should be, well, a medium, for inciting change and progress in a community. I believe that the only way for that to truly happen is for the majority of the moderate (a majority, I might add, that is fed up with extremist non-compromising shouting matches) to hear what’s going on. I doubt those individuals will stay too long on blogs that make them feel unwelcome for their diverging viewpoints.
PS- Here’s a comic that probably says what I’m trying to say better.
Amanda Richey 