Who controls the narratives in the twenty-first century that has seen the decentralization of communication and control of information? Thanks to social and alternative media. Therefore, no one really has control, what we have is a plethora of perspectives, staples of information for us to access and analyze, information that was once reserved. This is necessary as it helps to realize the goal of Communication; to make popular what was the monopoly, and Man has always challenged or obstructed access to information to increase, maintain or establish power or hold over a society or a people. However, Social Media challenges and is an affront to this power, even as it helps communication realizes it aims of making popular what was or is the monopoly.
The drive to regulate information must be approached with a level of suspicion and scrutiny because of the rational and so-called pure intentions of this regulatory effort to manage news calling it a corrective means of dispelling misinformation or disinformation or crazy news. However, the strategy to do so would suggest that Americans aren’t individuals with brains who can filter and analyze information and make decisions for themselves based on the news that they have received or based on external stimuli. The problem is that news have become a political and divisive issue and the fact that social media helps to decentralize control of information, thereby providing greater access and several more diverse perspectives of the news, means that no one or two groups can control. Further if you have money, then you can control the narrative and when you look at elections and politics in an America, one cannot rely on major news sources as their news is riddled in political ideology and a spin of the news that satisfies their big money backers. Fox, CNN and MSNBC are prime examples of news outlets that are not innocent of the crime of monopolizing the news for its cronies so as to extend their supporters control or to create, establish or maintain power or a particular political dynamic. So Social media poses problems for these major news outlets, the monies they will loose due to the competition and the political fallout. Yet CNN today is carrying a story about Obama’s work to regulate social media due preserve the integrity of news when that has never been the case given how divided major news is today. In fact, and if truth be told it is major news outlets that need regulating given their responsibility that they have shirked over the years succumbing to the new capitalism of nepotism, connectionism and greed. News was reserved for a few and what is happening now is a response and reaction to what news had become. In effect, social media is a direct response and reaction to the control and corruption of communication and information stemming from this divisive and nepotistic news cycle which was at best divided and political.
So, are we really trying to Regulate News or are we Censoring it to continue a monopoly of the news and media? Communication is to make popular what was the monopoly and mainstream news monopoly over the media and news have waned over the years with the growth of social media such as Facebook, twitter, bloggers, podcasts, who now command a huge share of their audience. the issue is competition, which is what we encourage in this country, but they (status quo who had controlled information or the news at once) are seeking through policy and a hero of the people (Obama) so as to reposition themselves as the only arbiters of truth (that is perspectival and slanted at best) in effect re-centralizing control of information and re-monopolizing communication through a soft means to make it appear as an innocent endeavor. Similarly, Russia is trying to re-colonize Ukraine because Russia believes its loosing its hold on the region. This is no different, those who were leaders of the news are now backing and promoting and supporting a plan and scheme to re-monopolize the news and media as their power decreases along with those of their backers.
So control of information is becoming more decentralized and not centralized in a few hands which is advantageous to the maintenance of privilege, power, status and position in society. The regulations of social media speaks to the control of information and totalitarian leaders and nations are infamous for controlling certain narratives so as to produce a particular effect as in Russia and China. But where information is dispersed it prevents this unilateral hold.
However, in America. Major news outlets are backing Obama’s efforts to re-establish this centralization of the news through the regulation of social media calling it ways to address disinformation, when the only way to do so is by having an educated mass of people who can utilize their brains to do the work of regulating news that is coming at them. According to CNN, Barack Obama hopes to help regulate #socialmedia that promote disinformation & find ways to address the “demand for crazy on the internet” that has filled a void as news outlets have diminished. I disagree, Because #mainstream and major or local news and outlets and networks are just as crazy, and highly divisive and has allowed for. Red to be manipulated and controlled by the power brokers. News is slanted based on the sponsorship’s ideological or political positions. Indeed, it’s a political issue, not social media, and if anything social media is a victory for social movements and mass of people who do have access to a wide variety of news that they can analyze and make their own conclusions. What should happen is for us to educate our people to be better filters of news. We are not a country that regulate news so as to restore the power dynamics that has kept down the masses or certain people.
But mainstream news and their sponsors who use their wealth and power to maintain hold over the news cycle which is waning due to social news media and other alternative news feel justified by their actions to re-monopolize and take back control of information through political policy and systems they control. Yet they defend their regulatory attempts and plans by “projecting—hurling ‘fake news’ accusations at social media news outlets and platforms such as BuzzFeed on the Trump dossier issue.” In fact that’s the title of a story ran by the Daily Kos news on January 15, 2017. According to the story written by Egberto Willies:
“It was inevitable that the mainstream media would run for cover. BuzzFeed gave them a gem by publishing a confidential dossier detailing Donald Trump’s connections to Russia, and they were happy to base much of their reporting on it. But in this era of fake news, euphoria quickly turned into panic. The Trump dossier filled with salacious allegations of tapes supposedly held by the Russians is unverified—and BuzzFeed went ahead and reported it as such….Predictably, every major news outlet ran with the story, despite the various disclaimers. After Donald Trump vehemently denied the allegations and called out BuzzFeed and CNN for delivering “fake news,” the mainstream media panic started to set in. The mainstream media’s condemnation of alternative or other social media news such as “BuzzFeed on this issue is unjustified. First, they don’t have the credibility to pass judgment, given their inability to prevent their airwaves and other properties from being used for disseminating life-altering lies. Second, they continue to function as wards of the plutocracy by only promoting their ideology over what is best for Americans and humanity as a whole.
It‘s time for the alternative media to stand up. And as for mainstream media outlets: until they live up to their constitutional role, they will remain irrelevant,” (https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/1/15/1619675/-Mainstream-media-is-projecting-by-hurling-fake-news-accusations-at-BuzzFeed-on-Trump-dossier).
We should be very nervous and suspicious of major news, their political supporters and wealthy sponsors who are leading the charge to reconsolidate their control over the news and information. What moral authority do they have to impose their control that has been at best political and divisive. When social media affects their position and power and the access and decentralization of information pose problems and threats for them and their narratives and what they hope to achieve. 
This article was first published by Renaldo McKenzie in The NeoLiberal Post in April, 2022.
Written by: Renaldo McKenzie, Editor-in-Chief, Author of “Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance,” and “NeoLiberal Globalization Reconsidered, Neo-Capitalism and the Death of Nations.”
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