As the mainstream media has become increasingly dependent on advertising revenues for support, it has become an anti-democratic force in society.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
When governments rely increasingly on sophisticated public relations agencies, public debate disappears and is replaced by competing propaganda campaigns, with all the accompanying deceits. Advertising isn't about truth or fairness or rationality, but about mobilising deeper and more primitive layers of the human mind.
While mainstream media is led by profit, ratings and popularist culture and filtered by the current political climate, Alternative Media is lead solely by the convictions of the campaign and film maker.
The democratic approach to news is a very valuable thing. We're always going to be dependent on the quality of reporting of mainstream media.
I think it is absolutely essential in a democracy to have competition in the media, a lot of competition, and we seem to be moving away from that.
The degree to which campaigns have become dominated by marketing is breaking the spirit of democracy, and we're all just so sick of it, across party lines.
Think of it: television producers joining with newspapers to tell stories. It's journalism of the future. Advertising will follow the crowd - the 'crowd' being viewers and readers, of course, which could bring revenue back into journalism.
I'm worried about the traditional media, but I think the new media is a plus for democracy.
Vigorous independent and critical media are indispensable in a democracy.
Advertising is the very essence of democracy.
Journalism is what maintains democracy. It's the force for progressive social change.