In “Waleed Aly tests
media crowd with French philosophy” AFR 17th October 2016, Bryce Corbett
reports on Aly’s reference to Pierre Bourdieu “les fast thinkers” in
his Olli Media Lecture, positing TV land avoids thorough analysis since it
is constrained by severe deadlines.
Aly contends, this fast moving mainstream
competitive environment of commercial media precludes sufficient time to engage
or analyze alternatives and hence ignores proper debate on many of the modern
day issues facing society.Instead, there is a propensity for a more nuanced
approach which is hostage to
popular opinion or to a selective audience combined with extreme brevity which
omits alternative views. What is often called a debate is just a rival extreme
exchange of views in the absence of moderation or rules because a proper debate
would take far too long.
I think we risk
this continuing trend to brevity and a lack of proper analysis, spurred on by
the relentless pressure for repeated recycled information to be conveniently
spread across all mediums. A change of heart is crucial as we enter a new era where robotics and artificial intelligence soon will become embedded in our way of life. What is needed is a set of values as otherwise we risk being overtaken by inappropriate technological outcomes, to further alienate an already fractured society.
We urgently need
more debate on an acceptable code of values for the media and technology,
appropriate for the 21stcentury.
2 comments:
I'm not sure if this was written in reference to the debates in the current presidential campaign in the US, but it's certainly true they were as far from classic debate theory as one could possibly get. In general, of course, you are correct that we need a much more nuanced approach to future technological development that includes rational discussion of the benefits and potential and disadvatages of same. I also doubt any such thing will be undertaken, although I'd prefer to be proven wrong.
Meanwhile, I thought I'd share with you a favorite very entertaining verbal disagreement.
Hi Susan,
By way of background after the premature death from brain cancer of the outstanding journalist Andrew Olle. The Andrew Olle Media Lecture is an annual lecture held by the ABC in his honor.
This year Waleed Aly was the speaker who took his reference point from the French philosopher Pierre Bourdieu.
Waleed Aly is a very well known Australian writer, academic, lawyer, media presenter and musician. Aly co-hosts Network Ten's news and current affairs television programs,
I have added in my concerns to his lecture on the need for more debate on future technology and the way the media is tending to highly abbreviate coverage in general, Thanks for the link as it’s always good to have a chuckle from such timeless humor.
Best wishes
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