February 7, 2007: Media Response #2

http://www.cfr.org/publication/12560/diminishing_returns_in_iraq.html

This article talks about the important of the US withdrawing its troops from Iraq as soon as possible. It is summarizing an interview with a leading Middle-Eastern studies expert. He explains that all troops should be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2008 regardless of whether or not president Bush's recent "surge" plan is successful. I believe that this is an important issue for our country because there is so much controversy about the war in Iraq. I also think that this is a very interesting controversy because neither side seems to be very informed about why they think what they do about it.
Although every person seems to have an opinion about what should be happening in Iraq we, as the general public, have very little information that can actually allow to make informed opinions about this. To me, this is one of the most fascinating things about the way that our mass media functions- every bit of information that we do receive and do not receive is filtered and censored before we come into contact with it. Essentially our reality can be completely controlled by media executives, presidents and other people of power without us even knowing it. This makes it so that even if we try to become informed about an issue (which many people do not even do) it is very difficult to determine whether or not the information we are viewing is correct or complete.
This problem is only intensified by the fact that the age of mass-produced media is coming to an end. It is now possible for any person to create their own media and broadcast it to the world. Although this makes for a lot more variety in the points of view and information that are available, it also has its downsides. Because anyone can create their own media it is increasingly difficult to figure out ways to authenticate a source. It is very difficult to pick between what information is simply information and which articles are biased and are simply pitching a certain point of view. Any person can make a blog or write an article about an issue, but that doesn't make them well-informed or well-read on the subject. And even if they are well-read, that doesn't mean that the sources that THEY have come into contact with are credible. I think that the increasing ease with which a person may create media is the downfall of credibility.