This week in media Laura Schlessinger said the n-word and a hate crime was committed against a muslim cab driver in lower Manhattan. However, depending on ones media outlet of choice, these stories were broadcasted, subjectified, glorified, or ignored demonstrating the way media is used as a venue to both control and liberate the masses. The trends of the blogosphere, where opinion trumps objectivism, seem to have infiltrated mainstream media into two explicitly polarized spheres with an increasing presence. In fact, there's TV shows and radio programs with the sole purpose of dissecting media, looking for the way programs and commentators contradict themselves and present radicalized opinion as mere fact. Yet this very conglomerated controlling entity has the power to liberate--it has driven populations to end wars and attract international attention during oppressive regimes. With new forms of information sharing, there is shift in the way society and media interact and the way we inform ourselves and with what tools. I view the current state of the media with a certain allure and mystery that I am trying to understand as a student striving to influence others. Though I am commonly irritated by the trends of social media in my generation I am wondering how this can be used as a tool for social change and to what extent. My interest is distributed equally between radio, television and film, as I admire figures such as Ed Murrow, Jon Stewart, and Julia Bacha and view each type of media as a mechanism for social change.
One of my favorite blogs is called Aid Watch
http://aidwatchers.com/
After I graduated High School in 2009 I embarked on a trip around the world that focused on the study of varios development issues. I made this video as a culmination of my experience abroad.
http://vimeo.com/11820001
Sunday, August 29, 2010
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