The mass media outlets are losing their stranglehold on the flow of information to the people.  Newspapers are dying, and TV networks are suffering.  This in and of itself is and has been a huge story over the past few years, but the 2008 US Presidential Election is revealing an underlying power struggle that is occuring as a result of this information revolution we're enjoying.

Along with the flow of information, the balance of power is shifting.  For almost a century, people have gotten their news from TV, radio, and newspapers.  ALL of those outlets are feeling a financial crunch, but what's become apparent is that what they fear even more than losing finances is losing the power that comes with being the information gatekeepers.  As people flock to the Web for more of their information diets, traditional large media outlets are suddenly no longer the gatekeepers who decide who and what gets to be seen by the public.  The public can now circumvent mass media if the quality of information coming from it is low, and that appears to be exactly what is happening.  The Internet is pulling back the curtain on what's REALLY happening, and we now have the opportunity to see mass media for what it really is, and what it has probably been for some time:  a BIG machine operated by a FEW people pulling the strings, manipulating it to project the image of reality that they want to see.

What's sad is watching the old, ugly machine in action when you can now see what's really going on.  Nowhere is this more apparent, in my opinion, that with the campaign of Ron Paul, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

I'd never heard of Ron Paul before a few months ago, but I do keep an eye on Digg.  I saw his name in a few headlines and didn't pay much attention for a while, until I finally decide to see why this guy kept making it to the front page, almost literally every day.  As I investigated further, I discovered a huge groundswell of support for him on all of the social networking sites.  Other candidates are using the social networking sites effectively as well, but Ron Paul is DOMINATING them, particularly on Eventful.com, MySpace.com, and YouTube.com.  Wired recently ran a great article about his popularity online:

According to Technorati, "Ron Paul" is one of the web's most searched-for terms. News about Paul has an outsize presence on Digg and reddit, two sites that allow users to highlight their preferred content. Paul's YouTube channel has been viewed over one million times, dwarfing efforts from competitors like John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. The Ron Paul internet boom has born everything from Belgians for Ron Paul to a reggae music video promoting Paul's views on monetary policy and habeas corpus.

If enough people put somebody or something in front of your face, enough times, it's hard not to pay attention, regardless of what the media says.  And when people are passionate about something, they make sure it gets in your face.  The people of the world, who populate the social networking sites which have turned the Internet into a utility almost as pervasive as electricity, obviously LOVE this guy.  He has been at or near the top of every debate poll. And yet, when I watch these so-called news shows, Ron Paul is nowhere to be found.  In fact when they talk about Republican candidates, they end up talking about Fred Thompson, who ISN'T EVEN IN THE RACE. ????

What I believe is happening is that the media outlets are pushing back HARD against the fact that they are losing their influence, and yes power, over the elections.  No longer does a candidate need the blessing of the networks, millions of dollars to run TV ads, or even the blessing of his own party to be a viable and powerful candidate.  Campaigns can now be run in grass-roots fashion again, as they were intended to be.  If this keeps up, campaign finance reform might become a moot point (still needs to happen, but that's another can of worms)...

This seems to be the first time a candidate has been forced down the throat of mass media by the people of the country demanding he be a force in the elections... what a great story.  Putting the country back into the hands of the people instead of the elite few is one of the most noble uses I can possibly think of for this incredible gift we have in the Internet.

Oh and by the way--Needless to say, I am 100% sold on Ron Paul, he is head and shoulders above every other candidate in this election.  Please, if you live in the  US do our country a favor and check him out, and if you like what he's about do your part to strip the mass media of their remaining power and help turn them back into what they're supposed to be--conveyors of information, not gatekeepers.