Warren Bonesteel: The media, our cultural and social institutions, the powerbrokers and politicians no longer control the memes and narratives of our society. The changes that we are going to see will be deep and profound. I have had a very positive feeling about the future since I — finally — understood what I was seeing. What is happening won't end in Xanadu or Utopia, but, in time, it should result in much better scenarios than we presently face as a world culture and society.
One point one billion People around the world are on the internet, with another one billion people projected to join them in less than five years. For our traditional information and educational Gatekeepers and for traditional bureaucrats, politicians and power mongers, this is fearsome news, indeed. For the rest of us, this is empowerment of a type and kind never before seen or imagined. This is true Democracy.
Two hundred and eleven million Americans are presently online. More than 70% of us get some or all of our news and info from the internet.. (And not all of us use Google or Yahoo.) Conservative talk radio, at its very best, reaches ten per cent of that number. Fox News reaches a million or two viewers during the best of times? Maybe fifteen million per twenty-four hours? The newspapers are losing readers and revenues on a daily basis. The traditional TV news gatekeepers are now below a nightly audience of 15 million viewers.
Future currency for everyone will be credibility and transparency. Indeed, that is even now becoming the 'currency' for us all. That credibility is predicated upon accountability. If we do not tell the truth, if we do not strive for accuracy in our spoken and written words, we will be held accountable. If we are not willing to accept correction or admit to our mistakes and immediately correct them, we lose credibility.
The future will not be about ideology, ambition or agenda. It will be credibility.
(via Instapundit)
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