Media a la Carta

November 10, 2003 7:22 AM

"Media Carta is the human-rights battle of our information age. It is about us, the people, singing the songs and telling the stories and generating culture from the bottom up, instead of having it spoon-fed from the top down."

Kalle Lasn and the gang at Adbusters are at it again.
posted by Quartermass (9 comments total)

This seems backwards. Instead of fighting for free media time, they should be fighting for advocacy of alternative media, like the Internet. Fight to turn off the TV as your news source since as a medium, it is inherently manipulative by its very nature. TV is broken fundamentally as a technology for news transfer, no mater who is in control of the media or content it can not be a trusted source as it is too easy to manipulate the viewer.
posted by stbalbach at 8:29 AM on November 10, 2003

And if you can't be bothered to work through Kalle's prose, just buy some sneakers.
posted by alms at 8:35 AM on November 10, 2003

already ordered mine. Interestingly a spanish shoe company also makes black spot sneakers (saw them in a shop the other day, kids sneakers).
posted by dabitch at 8:37 AM on November 10, 2003

stbalbach, I agree with you wholeheartedly, but television is still the drug of choice for a great majority of the people.

However, I think the issue encompases more than tv, and with media conglomerates in general. Here in Canada, A company like CanWest global owns the Global TV network, a national newspaper and many large city newspapers, and the mighty Canada.com.

A 2001 study by Jupiter Media Matrix showed that 14 companies controlled 60% of online user’s time.
posted by Quartermass at 8:53 AM on November 10, 2003

Manifestos... so... 1960's....
posted by ph00dz at 9:18 AM on November 10, 2003

Yes, it sucks being powerless in the face of mass media. To think I could have my own culture if I wasn't just a captive sheep to the conglomerates. I could even be the one "singing the songs"! Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya...

If only we had a society where people had access to more than one television station, or could read virtually any of thousands of magazines or newspapers covering every conceivable subject. Or better yet, if there was some newfangled machine that could hook people up to a virtually endless variety of opinions and perspectives. Then we'd surely see that most people would feel the same way as the good folks at adbusters, who are apparently the only ones powerful enough to escape the iron grasp of the mass media, as opposed to the rest of us poor sheep. Baaaaaaa.
posted by pardonyou? at 9:31 AM on November 10, 2003

I signed it.
posted by soyjoy at 10:05 AM on November 10, 2003

The problem with AdBusters - at least from where I'm sitting - is that in order to combat the problem of soundbites, shock, and ideologically biased communication, they employ . . . soundbites, shock and ideologically biased communication.

While I tend to agree with the ideas they profess, I'm often disappointed with their methods. Hacking billboards and wearing black dot sneakers is all well and good, but it does little to change the attitudes of those they're trying to reach.

Perhaps a better approach would be to promote those media outlets and programs that are providing a true and valuable service. Highlight independent radio, public broadcasting, cable access, and underground zines. Tell people about television - even if it happens to be on a major network - that challenges assumptions and puts forth ideas for debate.

AdBusters and this latest manifesto, come off as strident and divisive. As a result, neither does much to alter prevailing sentiments.
posted by aladfar at 10:14 AM on November 10, 2003

The list of signatures will be collected and posted beginning Friday, Oct 7th 2003.

Nope. Maybe they don't want people to know that Killfuck Soulshitter endorses their brand.

Yet another kind of "identity through consumption" concept, otherwise known as "cool."
posted by Snyder at 10:49 AM on November 10, 2003