Big Think

Karl Jackson on January 12, 2008, 10:47 AM

We fix the media by acknowledging its flaws, and educating ourselves so that we can compensate for them.
Television, no matter how decent, is a fundamentally limited medium, because it is one way. Regardless of the quality of the content, the viewer is painted with the flickering lights, but does no painting of their own. Years upon years of passive, docile viewership have left us without the critical thinking skills that are necessary to paint an accurate picture of the world.
Print media has always been different, because deciphering the squiggly lines requires a minimum contribution of effort and a certain shared understanding. That effort, as we all learned in primary school, is necessary for intellectual development.

Karl Jackson on January 12, 2008, 3:47 PM

We fix the media by acknowledging its flaws, and educating ourselves so that we can compensate for them.
Television, no matter how decent, is a fundamentally limited medium, because it is one way. Regardless of the quality of the content, the viewer is painted with the flickering lights, but does no painting of their own. Years upon years of passive, docile viewership have left us without the critical thinking skills that are necessary to paint an accurate picture of the world.
Print media has always been different, because deciphering the squiggly lines requires a minimum contribution of effort and a certain shared understanding. That effort, as we all learned in primary school, is necessary for intellectual development.

Cindy Preville on January 19, 2008, 11:33 AM

Perhaps the fundamental problem is with WHO controls almost all the media. To me, dealing with symptoms (crappy TV) is an ineffective approach. TV has mostly become mind control by those who have agendas for this world. You'd have to buy them out to change what is shown on TV, at least in Canada and the US. It's the same thing for most newspapers. This is probably why You Tube and alternative news sources are becoming more and more popular.

Cindy Preville on January 19, 2008, 4:33 PM

Perhaps the fundamental problem is with WHO controls almost all the media. To me, dealing with symptoms (crappy TV) is an ineffective approach. TV has mostly become mind control by those who have agendas for this world. You’d have to buy them out to change what is shown on TV, at least in Canada and the US. It’s the same thing for most newspapers. This is probably why You Tube and alternative news sources are becoming more and more popular.

Sarah Thomson on April 12, 2008, 9:29 AM

You fix the media by supporting small independent newspapers (like womenspost.ca),websites, online television.

Give the large media companies competition and the lazy news makers will have to actually work. But so too the small media companies often attract the brightest who are driven to communicate.

Americans aren't all sheep. Like most societies they too have innovators.

I have a dream that one day the web will break down the cultural barriers and wash away the assumptions that too often blind and limit us. Once knowledge can flow freely, so too will solutions.

Let's hope the religious zealots and power mongers never find a way to gain control over the transfer of knowledge that the web allows us.

Sarah Thomson on April 12, 2008, 1:29 PM

You fix the media by supporting small independent newspapers (like womenspost.ca),websites, online television.

Give the large media companies competition and the lazy news makers will have to actually work. But so too the small media companies often attract the brightest who are driven to communicate.

Americans aren’t all sheep. Like most societies they too have innovators.

I have a dream that one day the web will break down the cultural barriers and wash away the assumptions that too often blind and limit us. Once knowledge can flow freely, so too will solutions.

Let’s hope the religious zealots and power mongers never find a way to gain control over the transfer of knowledge that the web allows us.