Re: Future of Newspapers

**"* C* <d*@sympatico.ca>**

>From Jodi's post:

 Too many people are turning to uncredentialed sources of information for 
their 'news'
 and other information.

Do most people care where their news come from? Or if it is, in fact, news. 
Most of us huddled masses don't really care; we're addicted to factoids that 
condense world wide events to a pic and a sound bite. As writers, we can be 
indignant and toll all sorts of doomsday bells (and righteously so) within 
our wee on-line enclave here.
But the issue is much greater than that: Jodi's post brings this to the 
fore.
First there are the undisciplined opinions being lifted from sites such as 
the one she mentions and being represented as news. Another example might be 
"Yahoo answers" . Easter 2009 is on April 12, according to the "best answer" 
as VOTED on by readers. In this case, 1 reader. Not a serious case but 
consider how the youngsters are researching their projects these days; they 
key in a search engine, read the descriptor, and then cite the "authority."

Secondly, and perhaps much more insidious and damaging to society, is that 
the collection, control and dissemination of information is being 
concentrated into the hands of "Mega-corps" without a process for 
accountability. I believe there is an opportunity for tremendous 
manipulation on a scale we've never seen before.

Unfortunately, most people don't care and those that do will probably be 
labelled as alarmists who see conspiracies everywhere we look.

Ah geez, I'm glad we're busy here at work counting seed packets for 
inventory. Keeps me focussed on the important things.

Dan
(who is not Duane but still approves of the message)

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