As I wrote about yesterday, I think it’s inevitable that the major media networks that have a big influence on what we see and hear today are headed for extinction. Beyond giving us more entertainment choices, this is going to have a huge impact on politics.
When there are only a few conduits of information into a person’s mind, it’s relatively easy to control their information diet. However, as the information channels become decentralized and migrate away from networks and offer people direct access to the content producers, controlling information becomes a much trickier task. Trying to do spin control becomes almost impossible.
Media networks and government have a long and sordid history together. For as long as mass media has been around, government has tried as much as possible to control the information that went out over it–through intimidation, bribery, kickbacks, and favoritism. And they’ve been largely successful, simply because if somebody got kicked out of the game there was nowhere else for them to go–there was no such thing as an independant news source, unless you count HAM and shortwave radio, or public access TV.
The traditional barriers to entry in politics–namely, party support and the funds to advertise on major media networks–are going to fall soon. When 
that happens it’s going to open up the political process to people who previously couldn’t afford a ticket to the game. I’m sure there will be some kickback from career politicians because it’s going to threaten their careers. However self-interested people who aren’t thinking of the greater good need to be removed from office anyway.
The disintegration of large media networks and the dismantling of information gatekeepers will be a great moment in political history. As they’re weaned off of the major media networks, for the first time in recorded history people will be free to truly decide for themselves where to get their information and ignore sources that haven’t proven to be trustworthy. I don’t see how this can result in anything but a richer and more diverse range of choices than we have today, which is DEFINITELY a good thing.
Part of the 60 Ideas in 60 Days series. Click here for the rest of the ideas.
