Mike Honda & Danny Glover: Minority report

[marmar]

from the Guardian UK:



Minority report
America deserves media as diverse as the nation it serves – and more minority voices must be allowed to be heard

Michael Honda and Danny Glover
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 23 August 2009 17.00


Media, like any other technology, comes with the capacity to change the world. Like other technologies, media is rapidly changing and innovating. As print media – especially newspapers – pales in public participation, for example, online internet usage is rising exponentially. Whether it is the Twittering of Iran's elections after the government shutdown of Facebook and other social networking sites, or congressional hearings on Second Life, an online virtual reality where lifelike avatars represent human beings, media is rapidly changing the way the world does business.

Both of us, in our different spheres, have embraced the new possibilities that these new media offer us. For Michael Honda, a member of Congress can be on the cutting edge of using new technology to engage constituents, from crowd-sourcing website design to using Twitter to allow the public to feel the immediacy of democracy. For Danny Glover, an actor and director can use it to go beyond film and foster global perspectives and diverse viewpoints through catalysts such as LinkTV, an independent media outlet committed to news not covered elsewhere.

The critical point in this ever-evolving media landscape, however, is to ensure that as we evolve technologically, we evolve socially as well. By this, we mean that media evolves to reflect society in its fullest spectrum, colour, creed and concern.

Yet currently, media does not.

America's newsrooms, for example, scarcely reflect our nation's rich tapestry, with minorities – be they Native American, Asian American, Latino American, African American or other – comprising only 13.4% of total payrolls. The absence of minorities is particularly apparent within the newspaper industry, with nearly 460 newspapers nationwide employing no minorities at all. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/aug/21/media-diversity-race-technology

[Blue_Tires]

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