Independent Media

STRANGE

My recent investigations of independent media uncovered an odd situation. It appears to me that independent media is mainly a liberal effort; a rant and rage against evil corporate moguls who feed the public what it wants to hear for the sake of profit. But my personal experience has been that the drivel being fed out is mostly liberal drivel.

I like to read all points of view. But in the mainstream, corporate media, I find an overabundance of liberal views, and a darth of libertarian and conservative views. So when we dug into independent media, I hoped to find relief from this one-sided view of the world. But it was not to be. The independent media appears overwhelmingly slanted leftward, while it rails against corporate America.

I find that strange.

Why are leftists angry that someone is turning a profit by publishing what leftists want us to know? Do profits upset them? Maybe they don't like corporations. Or maybe they don't like the public. Or maybe they don't like profits, corporations, and the public. Who knows?

INTERESTING

As our UMass course progresses, it becomes more clear to me what a great flux mass media finds itself in. Also becoming clear is the idea that we have a number of potential alternatives floating about, but none have yet solidified and become strong, viable options.

YouTube and the like offer great potential, but how will it be realized? Presently, it seems like a wild and crazy blizzard of internet flakes. In the past few weeks, however, this has changed greatly. I've gone from seeing YouTube as teenagers' playground to perhaps being the next great media outlet. The potential is there for it, and similar outlets, to have tremendous impact.

Then again, maybe it fizzles... potential unrealized.

Film at 11:00.