technoculture314-09

This could be due to studying FTVMS and Sociology for faaar too long but I tend to look pessimistically at the possibility of a new public sphere with the rise of new media and technology.

Media ownership and control is a huge concern. With the internet has come an expansive platform for personal opinion and self-expression. Theorists such as Rampton note a shift from ‘broadcasting’ to ‘narrowcasting’ with the rise of blogs and other sites of discussion. But how big of an impact do citizens ‘voices’ have in comparison to the views of major media corporates and monopolies? These global conglomerates are extremely influential in shaping popular opinion and it is their information that is usually deemed ‘reliable’. It is likely that someone is more ‘informed’ by their national television or radio news than what bloggers have to report online. As such, I’d argue that in general blogs do little to damage or improve public debate. And when institutions such as the Chinese Government can ban Chinese bloggers from using terms such as “freedom” and “democracy” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4088702.stm) the promise of a new public sphere with new media is greatly challenged.

Also, as mentioned in the lecture, advertising and the commercialization of new media is becoming increasingly important. While the cost barriers of running a website are considerably less than that of running a news station, popular websites such as Youtube or Yahoo, websites created for social interaction and discussion, rely on advertising revenue to sustain the cost of servers and such. In my opinion, more and more the ‘public’ falls victim to ‘profit’.

Despite my pessimistic tendencies, I think movements such as ‘citizen journalism’ are a step in the right direction. Even if in a global context, this type of reporting does little to affect mainstream media, at least alternative opinions are expressed and available to those who seek them.