If a man from Mars came to America and sampled information on the internet and on the news, he might reach some pretty firm conclusions about our society. We might appear universally violent, polarized, racist and more.
But if that same Martian instead were to travel the United States, minus that information flow, he might reach entirely different conclusions. He’d see some big problems, to be sure. But he’d observe the vast majority of Americans living, working, playing and going to school together in relative harmony, day in and day out…
The stark difference in impressions might be explained, in part, by the manipulatable nature of what I refer to as “The Box”— information we receive on the news, online, and through social media. In recent years, I’ve researched and reported on the industry that works on behalf of various paid interests to control information within The Box. They do so with assistance from PR groups, think tanks, social media, lobby groups, law firms, nonprofits, letters to the editor, blogs, LLCs, SuperPACs, politicians, Hollywood, news reporters and even comedians… (continued)
Read the rest of my column in The Hill:
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/413589-this-is-what-it-really-means-to-think-outside-the-box [hr]
Sharyl,
You should know that your email to me about CIA reading whistle blower complaints to Congress was automatically sent to ‘junk’. I just happened to discover it.
Tom
Ms. Atkisson, I really value your perspective. You are one of the few people writing online who seems to be more interested in getting new information (aka truth) than in pushing an agenda as part of the echo chamber.
If you want an unpaid researcher, I would like to volunteer my services on a part time or occasional basis.
I am an attorney in South Louisiana. I have a trial practice and spend a lot of time digging things up and interviewing people, so I might have skills you could use. You can go on Westlaw or Lexis and put my name in, I have a respectable professional record.
If you need information from around these here parts (for example, to attend a meeting and take notes, to look at something that’s only available in hard copy, to track down some random piece of information), or if you just want someone to do something online for you, I would be happy to spend a couple of hours digging into things you want to know about. Just to be clear, I am offering to work for free.
Have a nice day!