Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Does modern media encourage racism?
Is modern media a main player in the endless battle against racism? Recent events including the Cronulla riots and the controversial debate over indigenous rights, have all been fueled by slurs passed on via common media channels. By way of SMS and email, large audiences are firstly informed and angered, then notified of planned violence. Police and Armed Forces have little control over readily accessible media content and therefore have minimal impact on preventing the eruptions. Past experiences have demonstrated that by the time Police are made aware of the intentions, an audience, too large for Armed Forces to handle, has already formed. It poses the question; without the aide of modern technology, would these events (and others likely to take place in the future) have reached such an escalated point of destruction?
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2 comments:
I can't believe I'm going to quote Spiderman, but with great power, comes great responsibility. New media technologies give people the opportunity to act out their base desires, and seek justification and encouragement from like-minded people, with whom they form an online community.
The Internet does facilitate the gathering of racists, which inevitably leads to racist action that would not be possible otherwise, but on the other hand, it also leads to the gathering of philanthropists, educators and experts, whose collaboration has improved our lives.
Through the diversification of media platforms, the Internet gives users access to more information, which can provide democratic balance and counter bias in the media - effectively negating the effects of the "spiral of silence" (Which is a good, and a bad thing - no issue is too freaky, too racist, to politically incorrect for the Internet).
The old advice, "think before you speak" has become ever-so important online and on mobile phones - where every word is documented and archived.
Great comment James.
I think you are definately right on the fact that the sayng "think before you speak" is crucial in new media. Another point to note is that when speaking (literally) to a person, more factors than just words are taken into account. Body lanuguage, context, tone. These are all areas that combine to deliver one message.
When examining communication via the internet however, uses must rely solely on the use of words with text emotives. This can alter the meaning of the message or the way in which the receiver interprets it.
With regards to certain racist outbreaks (for example the Cronulla Riots) I don't think there was any way of misconstruing the intended message.
And one final point - I think Spider Man is an excellent reference! I mean - how many people can climb the sides of buildings? That's pretty special!
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