Today in class we discussed differences between independent and mass media. What is the benefit of independent media is also the downfall as having no gatekeeper creates issues of content organization and quality control, leading Dorothy Kidd to question if site owners should be editors, librarians or neither. As the world has grown more accustomed to using the web for news sources, people are becoming more critical regarding the experience and the navigation with the sites they visit. If they have a frustrating experience, you may have lost them as a follower for good. I believe this is the ultimate gate keeping device that threatens these sites, not the supporters themselves who are trying to attract following to the independent media movement. Of course everyone has their biases which will come out, but when you come to a crossroads between good quality content and ease of navigation versus trolled articles and endless navigation paths, I think the former should stand to recruit a larger readership.
The other option is what we see currently; flashy headlines chosen by a select powerful few to support the current political hegemony. As Judith Dyck mentioned today, whenever we discuss working towards a greater balance, it is never a simple activity of stacking scales on either side of the political spectrum but rather walking negotiating a path of tension or witnessing a tug of war. I hope we can move towards a world where popular news presents a larger political spectrum of ideas. However it seems we are moving further and further away from this ideal, especially with CNN and Fox news becoming major players in writing the narrative in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. This is why we should pay attention to those brave enough like Julian Assange who risk their lives to expose hidden documents that highlight agendas behind political motives for concealing events.
