The structure of the anointed

“If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read:  ’President Can’t Swim.’”
–Lyndon B. Johnson

Part of the problem with the press is the constructed dichotomy wherein the self-appointed “watchdogs” believe themselves to be the most capable to fulfill the role of protecting us from ourselves.

It’s an embedded perspective, one that has history and evidence to back it up. As societies become more democratized, the press-as-watchdogs function helps ensure government transparency. There exists a symbiotic relationship: Freer societies have freer presses that in turn keep government in check.

But technological advances have begun to throw a new ingredient into this dynamic.

The watchdog role is now potentially bestowed upon whoever has the means to transmit information about, say, corporate malfeasance. Media members fall into a historically protected structure in which a large audience was typically guaranteed. Now, the role of individuals has increased to become vital for breaking news.

The rest of this post has been updated, revised and is available in paperbook or ebook.