Vanderleun! What a talented guy. With the Slipstream Media idea, he's attempting to lay out a path forward, a path many of us are seeking and have been seeking.
This needs to be remembered, I do believe:
Summary:
The Media is how America fights its civil wars. In this war at least half the country is both under-served and is painfully aware it is being under-served and lied to. In pop culture parlance, “We’re going to need bigger guns.”
Seen as the 4th branch of government, the unelected and self-selected Mainstream Media, in cultural and political collusion with the present government, knows this and – even as it dies – will do everything it can to prevent the arming of the people with more and better media.
To control the medium is to control the message. And control of the message means control of the hearts, minds, and votes of the people. To bring a better, clearer, and brighter message to the American people, we must have media that, like the Internet itself, “sees censorship as system damage and routes around it.” To accomplish this we must, in a network of small pieces loosely joined together, work to create a pervasive new media across America. Many of these pieces are already in place. Many more need to be created. All need to be joined in an affiliation. Mainstream media already knows how to do this and we must, to paraphrase Abby Hoffman, "Steal Their Book." Media not busy being born is busy dying.
This is the first in a series of articles on how to go about building a new American media; a media composed of newspapers, television, radio, film, music, publishing, and the multi-media capabilities of the Internet; an American media open to all and founded on the five bedrock principles of “Duty, Honor, Country, Truth, God.”
When dinosaurs die large opportunities for growth bloom within the ecosystem. The death of the old media is such an opportunity. It affords a wide range of possibilities to create a new media, a media that runs to the side of the mainstream media, but ultimately supplants it by slipping by it. For now I call it, The Slipstream Media.
By “The Slipstream Media” I mean the use of all forms of media currently in use to inform and persuade the public that "There is another system."
This series of articles will be composed of theoretical and practical observations on the content, forms, principles, funding, and business structures involved in creating a new media network in the rapidly changing marketplace of today and the foreseeable future. It will focus on, in Lenin’s phrase, “What is to be done,” as well as what can be done, and how the creation of the Slipstream Media might be accomplished.
What is to be done.
The Premise: Better ideas require not only better arguments, but also better means of distribution.
To survive and thrive, better ideas also require funding, a sound business model based on the realities of the present, and a path to positive cash flow.
The Media is how America fights its civil wars. In this war at least half the country is both under-served and is painfully aware it is being under-served and lied to. In pop culture parlance, “We’re going to need bigger guns.”
Seen as the 4th branch of government, the unelected and self-selected Mainstream Media, in cultural and political collusion with the present government, knows this and – even as it dies – will do everything it can to prevent the arming of the people with more and better media.
To control the medium is to control the message. And control of the message means control of the hearts, minds, and votes of the people. To bring a better, clearer, and brighter message to the American people, we must have media that, like the Internet itself, “sees censorship as system damage and routes around it.” To accomplish this we must, in a network of small pieces loosely joined together, work to create a pervasive new media across America. Many of these pieces are already in place. Many more need to be created. All need to be joined in an affiliation. Mainstream media already knows how to do this and we must, to paraphrase Abby Hoffman, "Steal Their Book." Media not busy being born is busy dying.
This is the first in a series of articles on how to go about building a new American media; a media composed of newspapers, television, radio, film, music, publishing, and the multi-media capabilities of the Internet; an American media open to all and founded on the five bedrock principles of “Duty, Honor, Country, Truth, God.”
When dinosaurs die large opportunities for growth bloom within the ecosystem. The death of the old media is such an opportunity. It affords a wide range of possibilities to create a new media, a media that runs to the side of the mainstream media, but ultimately supplants it by slipping by it. For now I call it, The Slipstream Media.
By “The Slipstream Media” I mean the use of all forms of media currently in use to inform and persuade the public that "There is another system."
This series of articles will be composed of theoretical and practical observations on the content, forms, principles, funding, and business structures involved in creating a new media network in the rapidly changing marketplace of today and the foreseeable future. It will focus on, in Lenin’s phrase, “What is to be done,” as well as what can be done, and how the creation of the Slipstream Media might be accomplished.
What is to be done.
The Premise: Better ideas require not only better arguments, but also better means of distribution.
To survive and thrive, better ideas also require funding, a sound business model based on the realities of the present, and a path to positive cash flow.
Now, what about that -- huh? Go read the rest, and keep his website near to your thoughts. The man is on to something.
J.B.,
Laura makes many good points, Clarence Thomas's personal story was not of any concern to the Democrats who grilled him...maybe filleted him is the right description.
Laura Ingraham this morning on Imus in the Morning weighing in on Sotomayer.
She (Sotomayer) has the right probably political out look for them, and so her personal story is going to be highlighted, and sold, and resold, and retold, and she is going to be an inspiration to Latinas and Latinos. And yet Justice Thomas, and Justice Miguel Estrada, weren’t any such inspiration so they were fair game for ridicule and disparagement.
http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/05/i-fav-laura-ingraham-reaches-perfect.html
Posted by: Ree | May 28, 2009 at 11:44 AM
J.B,
Cinie makes a lot of good points I don't see anyone else mentioning and they are kind of real obvious....
This is interesting Highly recommend this read because it isn’t being discussed anywhere I have been reading about the Cairo Speech. When Did Obama become Spokesman in Chief for Islam, where is that in the Job description of the United States of America President?
http://cinie.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/the-combination-of-church-and-state/
Posted by: Ree | June 06, 2009 at 11:30 AM
So, the media is in collusion with the "present government". It just chose sides within the past few months? Where was it during the build-up to the Iraq invasion? What about the portion of the media championing the "birther" controversy? There were more legitimate questions about 9/11 than Obama's birth, but of course it was a dereliction of duty to question official positions, it was dishonorable to have doubts, and the truth wasn't relevant, God didn't offer an opinion, and we were rewarded with a country waging an aggressive war. Was there a problem with the media then? You don't want a "fair" media. You want to return to when your media was winning the battle for the hearts and minds of the people. What else can be meant by "collusion with the present government"? We need a media that questions, challenges, and assumes the government is intoxicated with power - not your or my ideological shill.
Posted by: lrey | August 03, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Irey, pray tell, what media is championing the "birther" controversy? Am I?
You write about Iraq as if some iron-clad conclusion has been made that it was a mistake. That's obviously not true -- believe whatever the hell you want to believe.
More legitimate questions about 9/11 than Obama's birth? Such as? I'm not impressed by conclusory sentences.
Who in the media was shackled and limited from raising questions about American military actions, etc.? Hell, I remember mainstream questions about an obvious QUAGMIRE we found ourselves trapped within before the Iraq war. In AFGHANISTAN, remember? Millions and millions of refugees? Remember that, from that kowtowed media you seem to have invented out of thin air?
Irey, no white candidate who attended a church that crapped on standard Christian theology for twenty years would have been able to stay in any Presidential election contest -- yet Barack Obama was able to do so. And you seriously question whether the mainstream media is "colluding" with this administration??? Who the hell do you think they voted for??? David Duke???
We need a media that does what you say we need -- and much, much more. I am curious, however. How is the media questioning, challenging, and assuming the Obama administration is intoxicated with power in any way, shape or form.
How???
Posted by: RattlerGator | August 03, 2009 at 09:15 PM
Media is heading the wrong way all together, even if some people are trying to get their grip on the handles. So much junk on TV, print, and online just for a couple of views/clicks more, just for a buck or some followers. Media educates in our days, even if you would like to addmit it or not.
Posted by: Vannesa Curry | December 02, 2010 at 08:59 AM
Vanessa, thanks for bringing this topic back up. I'd meant to revisit the idea (as I've intended to do with so many other posts) but life constantly happens -- you know?
I love Gerard's stuff and will need to go review his site to see if he did, in fact, add to the series with other articles expressing thoughts on building a new American media.
Posted by: RattlerGator | December 02, 2010 at 09:41 AM