roundtable: THREAT: a "mass-media" cyberspace model

roundtable: THREAT: a "mass-media" cyberspace model

THREAT: a "mass-media" cyberspace model

Richard K. Moore (rkmoore@iol.ie)
Sat, 18 Feb 1995 14:13:26 +0000 

Message-Id: <v02110103ab6b5349725e@[193.120.234.107]>
Date: Sat, 18 Feb 1995 14:13:26 +0000
To: roundtable@cni.org, tpr-ne@MITVMA.MIT.EDU, gii-doc@cpsr.org,
From: rkmoore@iol.ie (Richard K. Moore)
Subject: THREAT: a "mass-media" cyberspace model


The "Mass-media culture" THREAT:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

We are currently seeing the following three initiatives being pushed
aggressively by the same parties:
    (1)  draconian censorhip/"decency" legislation (S.314)
    (2)  elimination of non-commercial broadcasting (attack on PBS)
    (3)  strong intellectual property rights (Pressler bill)

These three initiatives combine in purusit of a clear common goal:  to
structure cybersapace as a centralized, mass-media marketplace similar 
to (and as sterile as) broadcast television.

If content is to be strongly monitored (per S.314), then large-scale, 
open messaging interchange is simply impractical, and controversial 
public discourse is highly vulnerable.  By contrast, commercially-
produced (or right-wing produced) content isn't bothered at all by such 
monitoring (any more than is existing commercial television.)

The attack on PBS -- especially given the ideological rhetoric associated
with that attack -- shows that a _clear intent_ of these synergistic
intiatives is to limit the public's ability to participate in
non-mainstream political discourse and education.

The emphasis on propery rights -- which is a fine principle on its own --
serves to underscore the joint objective of the three intiatives:

    *----> The <Gingrich/Media-Industry/Right-Wing AGENDA> is to
       |   structure cyberspace as the exclusive province of mainstream,
       |   commercial traffic.  "Left bias" is to be excluded;
       |   grass-roots education & organizing is to be suppressed.
       |   The threat posed to the establishment by Internet --
       |   the spontaneous organization of public discourse
       |   around non-establishment themes -- is to be rooted out
       |   of Internet now, and not allowed to get a foothold
       |   in the privatized info-marketplace of Cyberspace Inc.

I think much of the discussion on these lists amounts to re-arranging 
deck chairs on the Titanic.  "Universal access", "two wires", and even
"telco-cable mergers" are all small potatoes compared to the destruction 
of open public discourse which is so clearly threatened by this "Imperial
Charter" of Cyberspace Inc which is now taking shape in Congress.


-rkm

---

Related posts>

---
David Mendoza (to roundtable)>
 >Now for comments on Exon Bill:
 >
 >This bill would restrict freedom of artistic expression...
 >
 >The implementation of the "decency" clause by the NEA was to target gay
 >and lesbian artistic expression as "indecent."  The determination with
 >respect to "decency" was left to the NEA chairperson...

---
Fred G Athearn (to comlaw-l)>
  >     I was suggesting that perhaps the telcos would NOT MIND
  >a law that made them responsible for content because that would
  >give them an excuse to price individual text communications out
  >of market even though they use very little bandwidth.

---
From: amptmeye@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Ryan Amptmeyer)
Subject: Purdue cyberspace threatened

Dear Cyber-guerillas,
	The administration of Purdue wants to kick students off of
cyberspace, arguing that we ought to use Compuserve or other
commercial services instead. The administration argues that too many
of us are using the net for non-education purposes and that it is not
possible to monitor e-mail use.


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