Underground Knowledge — A discussion group discussion

Excerpts from The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy:



“The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.” –Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965), American broadcast journalist


The Internet is expanding at a faster rate than most of we mere mortals can understand. Someone seriously compared its rate of growth to the speed of light, though we suspect he’s prone to exaggerating. Even so, its growth is impressive, that much we know.

Impressive, too, is the growth and power of online news and especially social media. Nowhere has this been better demonstrated than during the Arab Spring, the revolution that is sweeping the Arab world. Since 2010, Egyptians, Libyans and more recently Syrians have effectively used the Internet both to access foreign news during media blackouts and to get news and images to the outside world as dramatic events unfolded in their respective countries.

Just as the Internet offers society many advantages and disadvantages so, too, does online journalism. On the one hand, alternative thought-provoking news and ideas can be aired online whereas they’d never see the light of day in a metropolitan daily newspaper or other conventional media outlets.

On the other hand, there are fewer checks and balances online where anyone can write just about anything and get away with it.

This duality of online news is exemplified by the rise of freelance journalists using the Internet to their advantage. Citizen journos we call them.

Some of these citizen journos are qualified reporters who, for various reasons, have chosen to go it alone. Many may prefer the autonomy that comes with freelance writing, others may have become disillusioned with traditional mainstream reporting. Some are good, some are bad and some should probably be shot. The latter, who are usually inexperienced or wannabe journalists, often pretend to present unbiased news stories. In reality, they have radical agendas be they political, religious, racist or whatever. These agendas, incidentally, aren’t always apparent when you visit their blog sites.

It’s also important to remember that mainstream media are major players on the Internet. Almost all major newspapers, television and radio networks have online news portals to recycle their news to reach audiences far beyond their traditional catchment areas.

Despite the Internet’s faults, more and more people are viewing it as the only source for truthful information. Politicians and business moguls are aware of this and are actively lobbying to restrict or censor this medium so they can continue to manipulate, or better still control, public opinion.

Those same politicians and moguls are very mindful of initiatives like the Occupy Wall Street movement whose members are so heavily reliant on social media to spread their message. Young people are becoming more switched on, too. They’re increasingly favoring alternative websites and citizen journos over mainstream media when it comes to receiving news and information.

Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives



Citizen Journalism

Journalism: Citizen vs Professional http://guardianlv.com/2017/07/journal...

Citizen journalism: A phenomenon that is here to stay
http://www.euroscientist.com/citizen-...

The issue of unreliability is, of course, a serious one. But it is good to know citizen journalism can get through the political correctness gatekeepers that run the newspapers today. Victims of disasters usually have to penetrate government stonewalling and one wants to "hear it from them" beyond the soundbite versions. Apart from the headlines, I ignore the straight press these days and get most of my stuff from social media.

I think there are severe dangers in both mainstream media and citizen journalism, John.
But at least, as you say, citizen journalism at least gets past gatekeepers (who go way beyond political correctness).