Is new media more powerful than traditional media?

[noname223]

I think the power shifts more and more to new media. And the US is ahead of Europe in this development. I would say maybe 3-5 years ahead compared to Germany.

But in Germany public broadcasting plays a way bigger role. In Germany there are barely any leftwing independent journalism outlets. Because they are sort of part of the mainstream.

There are only a few outlets that sympathize with the far-right AfD. The newspaper I read the most is the Swiss outlet NZZ. I find the opinions horrible but I like to read contrarian takes. And they have opinions you don't read in German mainstream outlets. They spread some AfD narratives. At the same time, they criticize the party for being too extreme on certain issues and on Russia they call the AfD politicians traitors.

If you want the full AfD propaganda you have to go on Youtube, the (Swiss) newspaper Weltwoche and there are right-wing extreme magazines like Compact or Sezession in Germany.

The right-wing outlets have a momentum and grow. It is way easier to make money with your opinions when you are a right-winger. But there might be disadvantages for your vocation. But in east Germany it is that common that noone actually cares anymore.

In Germany conspracy theories are less popular than in the US. That's obvious. Maybe because our intelligence services suck ass. And we don't play a major role in global affairs. German politics is more boring. The news are presented more neutral and way less entertaining. In contrast US politics feels like a show on Netflix.

Traditional media are still gatekeepers for many debates and have more sway. I think one reason is the German education system that tries to make Germans cautious when it comes to extreme parties and extreme opinions.

I don't think I said anything sophisticated but I now want to watch a show. Lol.

The development is scary for sure. Maybe a turnaround can happen. it is possible something happens, noone expected which changes everything. But for better, or for worse? Idk.

In Germany traditional media is still more powerful. In the US I am unsure actually.

In political science they say media usually doesn't force opinions on people. They don't get brainwashed. But media determines about which topics people actually think. Currently, I read a German journal about the Israel-Palestine conflict and the shifting of the overton window. And most takes on there are propaganda themselves. Maybe it is worth to make an own thread for it. There are smart, critical analyses about the Israeli media landscape but they don't apply this to the German media landscape when it comes to the conflict. And so often in this issue the spokesperson of the IDF is counted as reliable source when it comes the propaganda in this conflict. Oh boy, how ironic...I think this says it all...

 

[Dejected 55]

Traditional media shot itself in the foot by #1 becoming about profit over integrity and #2 trying to silence and pretend other ideas didn't exist.

Traditional media, at least in the US... but also you see it in China and other parts of the world where the government tries to censor views they "don't like"... tried to pretend things didn't exist and sweep different ideas under the rug. The problem is, doing that makes it attractive. People start to want to know what you're hiding and why... and so, the bad ideas gained traction by being martyred ideas and when the Internet began to pop, there was a near-zero financial bar to get your ideas out there in a way that was not before possible without investing a lot of money.

And, unfortunately, the average person appears to have a tough time separating bullshit from different. There are lots of left, center, right-wing ideas that are worth debating and even considering. Good ideas come from everywhere. Just because it wasn't your idea doesn't mean you smother it. Take the good whenever you can and more people will be happy. But smother and censor the bad ideas and you don't prevent them from coming out, rather you give them an angle to push harder and gain traction because you're trying to hide them.

If we let the crazy go on parade, people will see the really crazy for what it is and not feel sorry for it as being marginalized. Meanwhile, the normal bad ideas that aren't horror shows just bad ideas, will get talked about and replaced with better ideas and people will be fine with that because they will feel legitimately heard. BUT, you make it hard for them... and those bad, but not horrible, ideas gain traction too... a lot of people feel (and actually are) ignored by traditional media.

People are our own worst enemy.

 

[Winterreise]

WHY DO YOU THINK IRAN HAS BANNED THE INTERNET?

 

[Dejected 55]

WHY DO YOU THINK IRAN HAS BANNED THE INTERNET?

The dichotomy of the modern world is interesting... Iran tries to shut off all communication to the outside world, but you know somehow at least some truth will leak out. Meanwhile, here in the USA, we theoretically have free media, but much of our free media is just propaganda or entertainment and a lot of real truth gets labeled as "fake" by the people in power.

I remember way back during our adventures in Iraq post-9/11... and I don't think we had any business in Iraq then, but that's a different conversation. But, I remember vividly watching on TV as someone in Iraq government at the time was being interviewed on live TV and he was saying everything about Iraq being under attack from the US and others was made up... and in the background, through the window, you could literally see US and other forces in Iraq attacking. It was the most surreal thing ever... watching a guy on international live TV denying what was literally going on in the background behind him. It was literally the Leslie Nielsen scene from one of the Naked Gun movies where shit is blowing up behind him and he is saying "Nothing to see here."

So, anyway... it's all kind of fucked up. The more they try to restrict truth overtly, the more likely it is able to get out... but the more free your media is, the more likely it is to be hijacked and rendered untrustworthy from abuse.

Kind of like the denial-of-service attacks in the internet... ping a site fast enough and it can't handle the traffic... Fill the news cycle with enough garbage and people tune out because the truth is too hard to decipher.

Who knew the real secret to oppression wasn't censorship but too much freedom!