tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101859138648955033.post7719509485798367796..comments2024-03-16T14:29:04.010-04:00Comments on Lance Strate's Blog Time Passing: Guns and CamerasLance Stratehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13033954765699126246noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101859138648955033.post-35992116618286050952007-04-21T11:23:00.000-04:002007-04-21T11:23:00.000-04:00From: logan@physics.utoronto.ca Subject: Re: [...From: logan@physics.utoronto.ca<BR/> Subject: Re: [MEA] Fwd: Guns and Cameras<BR/> Date: April 21, 2007 8:44:04 AM EDT (CA)<BR/> To: MEA@lists.ibiblio.org<BR/><BR/>Lance et al.<BR/><BR/>I agree with Lance that the showing of the video was inappropriate. The excuse offered by NBC was that it was newsworthy and the public had a right to know. This purported aim of NBC could have been achieved by reporting about the video explaining that the VT villain was a deeply disturbed individual as evidenced by the material that was send to them without actually showing this obscene material and allowing the VT villain to propagate his antisocial meme. TV in general is a medium that transmits the violence meme in its attempt to be sensational and garner a larger audience for its advertisers. Because of the need to protect freedom of expression the way to deal with this problem is through making the captains of media aware of their responsibilities to society and hopefully they will self-censor. Freedom of speech has its limits (you cannot shout fire in a crowded theater) but just as importantly it has its responsibilities. The airwaves belong to the public and they should not be used to assault that public. Part of the problem is that the news is presented more as a way of attracting advertisers than providing a public service. It is not a coincidence that the pharmaceutical companies are by and large the ones who advertise the most on news shows. They offer palliatives to the suffering that the news shows offer to their audiences. The problems Lance has raised is deserving of some thoughtful research. I hope we can squeeze in a panel discussion at the Media Ecology Association meeting in Mexico City of the issues raised by Lance's blog.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Bob LoganAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com