Where is the accountability?

Fear spoils freedom's promise… a response to Paul K. McMasters

In relation to the article Fear spoils freedom's promise I definitely agree that the flow of information today seems overwhelming. So often today, as the media grows in size and depth and as more of the general public participates in the conversation, the ways in which we are able to share information seems limitless. However, one of the most pressing communication issues today is the simple issue that there is little to no accountability for those who are sending the message in the over exhausting media atmosphere.

Today, the idea of anonymity can be as much of a powerful idea as well as a dangerous one. As McMasters addressed in his article there are "constant and rapid advances in new forms of media which provokes new modes of speech -- and thus more anxiety." Advancements in technology have really opened up the forum for an alternative opinion which really helps uphold the ideals of the first amendment, those who previously have not had a voice can speak freely and clearly with no punishment. Further, the Internet gives way to new insight and information and offers numerous opinions and insight from those who perhaps know it better than traditional new sources. There is so many great advantages of living in an age of advanced communication, as consumers of the media are being shown more alternatives, better advice and more free-flowing information. However, with such a exhaustion of information and communication tools available it is often hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Thus, it is often easy to just accept what you hear and see at face value and take it for the truth which could also present a major problem.

Not everything that is posted is true, and most of us know this. Whereas, traditional new sources (such as newspapers and television) are held by the general public to a certain level of professionalism and accountability, news from the average public themselves are not. Yet, as today we are so used to the idea of quick and easy information, we tend to not want to overextend too much effort really cross-checking the facts of what we are reading in today's media environment. Even today, we see the indecencies of companies and corporations who go on various media sites just to hype up their products, without being held to any sort of standard of saying who they are or what they are representing, and often it only becomes an issue when these companies are caught. The idea that you can tell a lie and get away with it has always been a tempting premise, and with the new media environment this idea only increasingly grows more appealing.

How can we differentiate the truth from a lie when they are so intermingled within one another in the new media environment? Does this lessen the validity of those who do take the time to tell the truth? How can we possibly try accountability on the Internet while the idea of free speech exists? Finally, where do we draw the line? As McMasters says, "we struggle to separate the good from the bad, reality from fantasy, the safe from the dangerous." As this premise only becomes more blurry and the levels of information expand and grow, how do we move forward and progress?...