The first main idea I got from the article was about community media and how it belongs within the sphere of civil society since it is created by groups of people that have something to say or groups of people that share an interest. Additionally, community media involves self expression since it allows for both the individual and the community to represent themselves and their ideas. While these ideas may not be accepted by the people in power, community media still has a significant role in society in that it empowers people and has implications for democracy since it allows for the public to participate and put their ideas into the mix of concerns.
This brings me to the second main idea of the article which is about democracy. I think this quote summarizes it up the best: “Community media also shows us that not everyone thinks the same way we do. It brings to the surface opinions and activities that we may not agree with. We might not want to know the people who think differently from us, but if we are able to see their thoughts and opinions on a more regular - and personal - basis, we might be less surprised by the world. And the democratic process would at least appear to be working, even when it didn’t go our way.” In other words, community media allows all of us to engage in discussions with one another even if we all have different opinions. It is a democratic process since it allows for all voices to be expressed and heard, even if only one voice dominates in the end. I agree with the author of the article when they wrote that the issue of communication is probably the reason why voters feel so disconnected to the government. It’s not necessarily that they believe that their ideas should be adopted but they want to at least put their two cents in. Thus, a lot of times at town meetings, some people come to voice their opinions even though they know they will probably lose.
Finally, the article states that community media sometimes leads to "immensely useful, far reaching, and innovative things." An example of this that comes to mind is the situation in Egypt. Anyways, I want to end my blog with a quote from Margaret Mead which I think ties in perfectly with this reading: ""Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
I agree with you. Community media is wonderful thing in that it allows people of all backgrounds and interest to get together for one topic. And it's always great to hear what other people have to say about the same topic. It's good to know that even though many of us has cut down our face-to-face interactions that we are still having meaningful and engaging conversations online. I'm glad that we are able to organize and talk about what we want (Democracy) and not have the government come in and censor us. We are able to freely speak about how we feel.
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