Metaviews

What is the difference between conspiracy and diplomacy? Context and transparency? Or just authority vs innuendo? Similarly there’s a fine line between propaganda and news when power is involved, and news is increasingly driven by opinion, which provides an excellent opportunity for propaganda.

Broadcasting is dead. As a concept it was killed by the Internet and the inherent interactivity (and surveillance) that the network of networks delivers. There are no consumers in so far as each user is a producer of data about their consumption, or rather engagement.

A good measure of a society is not just how it treats its most vulnerable, but also how it responds in a crisis. When there is little faith or trust in institutions, people are more prone to panic and focus on their perceived self-interest.

Sometimes the most interesting aspects of society are where sectors and perspectives overlap. Moving beyond binary distinctions towards a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of how identity and organization are constructed.

Here in Canada we’re in the middle of a rather silly and distracted discussion around the regulation of social media. Which is tragic, as it is an important and timely issue, but not one that is being dealt with as such by anyone currently involved.

What if we’re approaching pervasive conspiracy culture wrong. Rather than being a symptom of a failing news system, or an acknowledgement of the fallacies of journalism, conspiracy culture is instead a symptom of a post-literate society.