Thursday, November 10, 2005

Providers of distorted images


War on Terror
Originally uploaded by
phibsboro.
A week ago I was having lunch with a friend of mine who is a media researcher. She said something that I have not dared to say out loud until now:"I don´t how much of this mass media bitching of the blogosphere I can handle."

I must say that I agree fully. This common (I am not saying overall) tone is something that at least makes it difficult for me to see blogs as yet an alternative for mass media. I find it truly irritating every time I read this general nagging about mass media lying to us. It often seems to me as if the people who complain that the mass media simplifies the blogs into raging activism, are guilty of same kind of simplifications. One can see a lot of this on the comment sections of the blogs by big newspapers.

When journalism is considered, it often seems to me like some bloggers see all mass media journalists as pure evil distorters. Or I am not sure how the logic works.

And to play my cards openly: yes, I regularly contribute to mass media publications. Quite a number of my friends are journalists working for big television stations or newspapers. And that is why I dare to state that I know what kind of shitty censorship one can face. I admit it happens. But I also see more and more often journalists who walk the extra mile for the truth or who feel a great responsibility for providing their audience with accurate analysis. Populist simplifications to both directions upset me.

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