I am in agreeance with just about everybody in that the media's loyalties should lie with the public. But the question is, what public? To a nation's public? To the world public? Speaking of which, here's the latest scoop on the Danish Cartoon of the Muslim Prophet.
I think that the recent fiasco with the Danish cartoons is a great example that the media sometimes has to think on a very large scale. I believe that they owe their loyalties to the public of the world. But does the truth vary from country to country?
For example, was the propaganda in WWII in the US justified? Most people would agree that the Nazi's weren't exactly the nicest people in the world. But our view of them at the time I'm sure was very different than their view of themselves. Wikipedia has an excellent page on The History of Propaganda
So there must be a line between loyalties to your nation's public and the public of the world. Is the truth really the truth in this case? I believe that there is a difference between the nation and the world, and that there is a line. Though I'm not really one to tell you where that line is.
And I'm sure that there are loyalties on different levels than just national and global. As I said, I'm not really sure where that line is, but.... I think Denmark might!
2 comments:
When I look at issues of loyalty, I usually end up looking at the phenomenon of tribalism.
Elsewhere around the world, a lot of people still consider themselves first and foremost members of an ethnic tribe defined primarily by bloodlines.
In the industrialized western nations, ethnic tribalism has faded, only to be supplanted by professional guilds, political factions, sport fanaticism, and affinity groups defined by factors other than race, religion, or ethnicity.
What is the name and character of your tribe?
After reading your comment, I leaned back in my chair and asked myself, in a barely audible voice, "What type of person do I think of when I think of me?"
I hate to almost sound a little racist, but society very too often reminds me that I am a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Male.
But then I leaned back again and told myself "That's not quite what he's asking", even though that was the first thing that came to mind.
So then I started thinking about the group of people that I am often around. My tribe would have to be Single College Student.
Although I am quite often reminded of the fact that I am a male WASP, that is not who I really identify with.
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