First came the age of cable and satellite television. The predictable structure of daily and weekly newspapers and terrestrial networks was lost. The game changed. Then the internet’s arrival was next. The players increased exponentially. Access to information widened drastically. The game changed again. And then, social media emerged. Anyone with an internet connection was suddenly able to say anything about absolutely any topic at all. The game didn’t just change. The rules were eliminated altogether. Today, information dissemination and consumption have become a positive minefield for everyone from journalists to citizens trying to keep track of the ever-unfolding events worldwide. The ethical and professional standards that are applicable in media organizations no longer have any power over the information ecosystem, and social media platforms are riddled with false news, both intentional and unintentional. Political polarization is rife in almost every country in the world and this polarization is evident in nearly all information sources, whether those be established media organizations or personal accounts giving their two cents on whatever’s going on. There is an information overload, and no practical way to regulate it. In my time both as an…
Why Satire is a Great Antidote to A Poisoned Information Well
February 21, 2020
