combatserver writes:
"While The Guardian and The New York Times reported on the NSA targeting of data leaked by popular mobile apps, independent sources produced highly-detailed articles--accompanied by source material--that paint a much broader picture of NSA capabilities and intent. Recent restrictions imposed on journalists--a result of corporate influence, editorial decisions, and threats against journalists--combined with the ease of establishing a website, might be driving a new era in journalism.
The Intercept recently announced a shift towards independent reporting with the creation of their own news outlet, free of the constraints imposed on journalists by 'Big Media' and governments. Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill have joined forces to provide the world with an alternative, perhaps blazing a path towards a fundamental change in how news is reported and distributed. SoylentNews can play a significant role in this shift towards journalistic freedom--we share many common core-ideals, and can give voice to independent news sources.
The Big Question: How will 'Big Media' and governments react to this shift in journalism?"
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Sir Garlon on Tuesday February 18 2014, @01:39PM
Public broadcasting has had a crowdfunding model for what, 50 years or so? (They also eagerly accept money from corporations and governments, and many believe they are highly biased.)
I would not mind if all for-profit media died today and a handful of PBS-style news sources took their place.
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by hemocyanin on Tuesday February 18 2014, @04:23PM
And there is this: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/05/27/1305 27fa_fact_mayer?printable=true¤tPage=all [newyorker.com] which outlines the way in which PBS stations have dropped shows that might be controversial for major donors. PBS is basically becoming owned, sort of like an artsy Fox or NBC.
n -arnolds-3-5-million-following-pando-expose/ [pando.com] ) -- but that is certainly only because it got caught.
As for First Look Media, I'm sure that for a time it will actually act independently and be a good source of news. I'm also fairly pessimistic that it will remain so for all time -- like anything, it will grow, flourish, age, wither, die, and rot. Public broadcasting happens to be in withering stage.
PS: PBS has backed out of the deal with Arnold ( http://pando.com/2014/02/14/nyt-pbs-to-return-joh
(Score: 2, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday February 18 2014, @07:30PM
PBS has never been unbiased, at least within my lifetime. About the best you can say for them is they're less blatantly adversarial in their approach than most news corps.
Unfortunately, most journalists come out of school ready to crusade against evil corporations (read: all of them), anyone who isn't a Democrat, and anyone who doesn't agree with this approach to journalism. The rub is that there's nothing that can be done about this while still maintaining any semblance of a free press.
Hopefully, having non-journalism-degree-having people reporting the news on sites like this will at least give the unserved majority of us a bit better access to what's actually happening in the world.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.