Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Enzensberger and Baudrillard

Enzensberger sees problems stemming from media's tendency to limit communication by making it a one way conversation from producer to consumer. He argues that the consumer should have the ability to respond to the messages of the producer, therefore creating a two way conversation. Baudrillard will take this a step further and say that content should be produced jointly by producers and consumers. Perhaps this is being done in the blogosphere and sites like YouTube. Even the current election shows signs that this is happening as traditional forms of media like the TV channel CNN uses blogs and consumer's letters and opinions in their reporting. Though it seems as if the philosophical qualms Enzensberger and Baudrillard have with media are being solved, a whole new political problem is emerging. Now that everyone has a voice and the ability to create, the significance of each voice is diminished. However, there still exists a power structure where, even though CNN is using consumer content in its production, it still has the power to decide whose voice is heard and what it will broadcast. Is it possible to transgress the existing media superstructure? Or will the evolving discourses emerging form new media forever exist along side the flawed one way communication of traditional media?

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