Monday, June 18, 2012

Alternatives to mass media


Today I read a really fascinating blog on media consolidation and the lack of media choice. While none of the information presented here should be too shocking to anyone, it's worth a quick glance and some thought:


This infographic left me thinking about how inexcusable it is in this digital era that we consumers continue to gobble up the high-fructose garbage we are fed by the mass media. I am not trying to say that commercially successful media is always bad media (though it often is). Rather, I am arguing that we can and should seek alternatives. As I write, I am acutely aware that many of the world's people are still left behind in the information age and truly have little choice as to what media (if any) they consume. But this simple exchange in which you and I are engaged -this simple, yet amazing digital exchange- is proof that at least we don't have to be passive consumers of media. We can seek out good film, literature, news, and music without sitting in our highchairs waiting to be fed. We can decide for ourselves which media are valuable and then we can choose to share with others.

Michael and I have both expressed on this blog the desire we have to offer something new and unique through our music. We now invite you to do the same. Share with us a favorite film that wasn't released by one of the major studios. Share with us a song or a band that we wouldn't hear on the radio. Share with us an important article or story that didn't catch the attention of the major news agencies. Tell us about an amazing visual artist that we might not know. Tell us where you discover new ideas and new media. Enlighten us.

You can post your thoughts as comments to this blog post or you can post on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SongsBecomeWater

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