Big Media and Freedom of Expression Posted By : Bill Thomas
31.10.2006 18:51 Political Articles
Thank goodness for the Internet. The best thing to happen to freedom of expression in a long time allows for voices to be heard, and necessary voices of dissent. You'll no longer here it on commercial T.V. You won't get it from the major news channels, and you certainly won't get it from that 'fair and balanced' channel otherwise known as Fox.
It seems that since a few of the intellectual elites gobbled up all the remaining independent stations and turned them into government lap-dogs, that you hardly hear a voice of dissent anymore. This is not good news for people who still value freedom of expression, and have concerns about unbridled governmental power. If there's no one to protest the sometimes immoral and unjustifed actions of government, what is left to oppose?
I've noticed in my lifetime a tendency for goverment to gather more power to itself as government always does, but at least in my earlier lifetime there was a system of checks and balances that prevented government from unrestrained and inconsequential actions, such as was the case with the Watergate affair.
It seems that we have reached a point in time in our history where there are few dissenting voices to be heard, and not a lot of outlets to get the real news, other than the Internet. Although it's power has wained some since the advent of the Internet, television stations still have enormous power to influence the minds of people since many still get their news from this media. From my vantage point, it seems as if they're dropping the ball on this.
It seems that since a few of the intellectual elites gobbled up all the remaining independent stations and turned them into government lap-dogs, that you hardly hear a voice of dissent anymore. This is not good news for people who still value freedom of expression, and have concerns about unbridled governmental power. If there's no one to protest the sometimes immoral and unjustifed actions of government, what is left to oppose?
I've noticed in my lifetime a tendency for goverment to gather more power to itself as government always does, but at least in my earlier lifetime there was a system of checks and balances that prevented government from unrestrained and inconsequential actions, such as was the case with the Watergate affair.
It seems that we have reached a point in time in our history where there are few dissenting voices to be heard, and not a lot of outlets to get the real news, other than the Internet. Although it's power has wained some since the advent of the Internet, television stations still have enormous power to influence the minds of people since many still get their news from this media. From my vantage point, it seems as if they're dropping the ball on this.
By: Bill Thomas
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