Partisan Media is old news but it's relevance in today's media is overlooked, not only within our own country but also internationally.
The uprisings in the Middle East has had it's effects on China. Since the uprisings Chinese communist officials have been on the defense to keep order. Today Chinese police and security have shown force in quelling a protest with a water truck at People's Square. China is an expert at using the media as a weapon to persuade public opinion by restricting what the chinese public views in the country. Chinese officials have used state-run media to deny any claims that their regime resembles those of the Middle East. They have also restricted internet searches relating to the uprising in Egypt, Tunsia. They even have warned foreign journalists about reporting any restricted news, it is also reported that they were physically attacked by Chinese authorities at the expected gathering and their camera's were confiscated.
The uprising was supposedly started by an unknown group overseas using a Chinese-language based website to get their message of starting protests against the government called the "jasmine rallies", on consecutive Sunday afternoons in cities across China.
This event is just one of many showing us how powerful the media can be but one must recognize that it is a double edged sword. It can be used to start uprisings but also used by the government to sway and control public opinion. Today majority of the people believe what they are told by the media.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/27/AR2011022700606.html?sid=ST2011022704220
You're point about the media being a double edged sword is a good one. I suppose it falls down to who has controls and regulates the media. If there is a level of autonomy among the press, a lack of overlap between state control and newspaper print, then maybe we can use it to start uprisings. Unfortunately, as we see in China, when the government has control of the press, censors the internet, and restricts other modes of communication with the outside world, it takes a determined man/woman to stay informed. (Blogspot.com, btw, is a blocked site in china)
ReplyDeleteI would tend to agree with Jared but I think that the situation in such countries as China only confirm what role information has, and what the consequences of the absence of media are on a population, political environment, society and culture. It takes a reader to stay informed but also a government to allow the information and a righteous media to provide information properly... In short I guess everyone has to play its part.
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