Almost since it’s inception, I have been an avid fan of the Internet. However, reading Robert’s book gave me an enhanced appreciation of that globe-girdling network. I don’t own a television, and except for my (former) collection of 300+ movies, which I recently donated to friends (along with the TV), I don’t miss it much. Except for widely-spaced purchases of the local newspaper, I derive my news entirely from the Net. I got tired of TV’s overdoses of something known among the cognoscenti as SPIN.
Basically, SPIN is the interpretation of the facts (before you get them), by those who benefit from them most. In other words, the network news is presented to you in such a fashion that you are led to believe that which the ‘powers that be’ want you to believe. You will not, repeat will not, get a true version of any major news story by watching any of the networks on television. You may get the facts, in their entirety, of a local car crash. But, any national or world story will have been spun before you hear it.
For a great lesson in SPIN, check out the following essay by Lee Gruenfeld, author of several novels including one of my all time favorites, All Fall Down,
Based on the preceding, you may ask why I maintain that you need the Internet. Fair question. Here’s why. The Internet, in the same manner as a short wave radio receiver, allows you to gather information from all over the world. If you restrict yourself to only US based news, you will never acquire the entire picture. The same goes for the news of any other one country in the world.
It is only by actively seeking the varying viewpoints of reporters from around the world, filtering out the obvious garbage, and coalescing the rest, that we can hope to recreate a true picture of world events.
The Internet, by it’s ability to link us to every country in the world, puts us in command of the news we receive. We are not limited to CBS, ABC and NBC. We have the perceptions of the world at our literal fingertips. If we fail to take advantage of this vast source of knowledge and information, we have no one to blame but our lazy selves.
If you have not read Beyond Our Consent, I urge you to do so. Soon. If you have, you’ll know what I mean. In order to be well informed, and maintain whatever small advantage (as thinking citizens) we may still enjoy over the “Power Elite,” we must have unbiased news and information. The Internet provides this to us at a much lower cost than an expensive short wave receiver and antenna system.
Stay informed. Stay alert. Stay alive.
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