Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev, one of the world’s leading thinkers about democracy and authoritarianism, argued that the communication revolution has created a “fragmentation of the public space.” Instead of all of us being part of a single public debate, the Internet and social media have allowed us all to consume only “the information that confirms our biases.” (Globe and Mail, Thursday June 16, 2011)
Marshall McLuhan postulated that the electronic envelope surrounding the earth links us all together in a global village, retribalizing humanity.
The key to understanding Krastev’s thinking is that comment that we consume only “the information that confirms our biases.” So, if this is the case, what we’ll see is a polarization of attitudes because people harden in their notions if all they read pertains to a certain point of view. This is clearly the case with opinions on gun ownership in the U.S. and gun registration in Canada as well as on issues such as the Keystone pipeline and oil sands development.
Adhering only to one side of any argument retribalizes (or tribalizes) the readers and makes changes in their opinions more unlikely. There’s a reason why only two mainstream parties exist in the U.S., for example with hardened factions in both Demo. and Repub. tribes.
So McLuhan and Krastev would agree on the increasing divsions in society. The great irony is that even though we have more information than ever, there is possibly less free thinking than at any other time in history. If faced with innumerable choices we’ll go with what we know: Fox, BBC, etc.
Write a report, 6 pages in length, exploring and analyzing the media coverage of a politically charged issue, keeping in mind the above ideas. The following are the first steps and elements required:
Part One: Research
FIND A CHOMSKY ARTICLE: Browse Noam Chomsky’s web site and find an article or a video on a subject that interests you. Choose a topic with strong political implications (as most of them will be), and choose something that is current, topical and ongoing.
Chomsky.info Articles
EXPLORE MAJOR MEDIA COVERAGE: Go to web sites hosted by major online media outlets (such as Al Jazeera, Fox, NBS, BBC, CBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, etc.) and search your topic. Choose at least four different articles to analyze. Save the links.
EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE MEDIA COVERAGE: Research your topic on other alternative and independent media sites such as human rights watch (hrw.org). (Find at least one article.)
EXPLORE INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE: Research international media from both sides of the issue or conflict.
Before you start writing, your teacher will give you feedback on the sources you have chosen to make sure you are on the right path.
Write a one paragraph description of why you chose the topic. You may wish to summarize the Chomsky article and state why the article caught your interest.
Next, post links to the articles and videos you have chosen to use in your research. Your teacher will let you know whether or not you have chosen credible sources.
Finally, post any questions you have about this assignment. This is your chance to clarify the instructions. Read the assignment description on the next page for the complete assignment instructions.