Newspapers and Television Stations are owned by business groups, but they are run by editors. Editors who are supposed to be objective in providing unbiased information to help the reader and viewer decide for themselves where they should stand on an issue.
The ability to influence, thoughts and attitudes which shape minds, and hence change the world as the media chooses is an intoxicating power. The press and media are not only extremely powerful but they have never been accountable to anybody nor any government regulatory agency.
As Lord Acton noted, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” this is what has happened to the media.
Is it any surprise that the Media abuses the trust of its viewers and readers?
Of course not, because the main stream media/press are an authority unto themselves. Their power and influence has been absolute. They could make or break any personality or organisation or group of their choosing.
Such power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on power, a condition to which they are quickly addicted.
An excess of anything is self destructive and that is why Main Stream Media is on the back foot.
Now with the advent of Social Media, everyone has the opportunity to express a view and publish it. Whereas before there were a few voices, often misleading or misinforming us, we now have countless voices all screaming hoarse and that too crudely, saying 'to hell with political correctness'
Now we are drowning in information, much of it is contradictory. Now instead of being informed we are becoming confused.
Its strange that on social media one can be anything, but many people choose to be idiotic. This is because, Social Media is democratic and like all democratic systems is messy, noisy, chaotic and open to misuse.
Yet at the end of the day a gullible person will be fooled by all media, but an intelligent person will gain significantly much more from Social Media rather than main stream mass media.
Manipulated we will all be. We can only choose the way we will allow ourselves to be played with.
As the electioneering fever reaches a high, the Media pitches aggressively to give us the government they want.