March 04, 2003
McLuhan redux
McLuhan once said "the medium is the message".
Is the emergence of individual voices via weblogs a twist on that thought? Are we now entering a period of "it's the message, not the medium?"
update: edited this a bit to clarify it Consider for a moment what's possible when the voices of the people are truly available. Hearing the truth is no longer a matter of being controlled by a media outlet. Speaking for yourself truly becomes possible. A lot of people who currently control what we hear would like you to think what you say doesn't matter. How long are you willing to continue to believe that lie?
Consider for a moment what becomes possible when the true voice of the people becomes available. The real story, as you consume it, wouldn't be limited to solely the result of controlled packaging and delivery through media outlets. Speaking for yourself truly becomes possible. Listening for yourself becomes possible. You're still as capable of misleading yourself as you were before.
Those in charge of current media outlets have a vested interest in your following their lead. Their profits depend on it. They'd certainly like you to believe what you have to say won't matter. How long are willing to continue to believe that lie?
I'm not saying the voice of the masses can't be wrong. Far from it. Just look at the various crackpots and whackos already online. What I'm saying is it's possible for the truth, in bits and pieces, to emerge from so many different places as to no longer remain shackled under the mantle of tight-fisted control as often seen in government and mass-media. You can speak for yourself and, thanks to the unbelievable amounts of indexing and cross-referencing power provided by the internet, it can be corroborated.
What this also does it cast a blinding light on those that would merely pretend to tell you the truth. Their selective packaging of things no longer holds up. They can't continue to make blanket, unsupported statements. Too much of the real story is online and directly accessible.
As the X-Files show said "the truth is out there."
Where's your contribution to it?
