Attention!: “his master’s voice” invade us!

CNN+ has also been “merged” watch out!...

Media power is turning out to be one of the most dangerous tentacles of the “great powers”: speculation, biased and distorted “ratings”, both in economy and education, uniformity… and, what is worse, disseminating information that doesn’t reflect reality, but rather the ideology of the “master”. And, more and more, the same “masters” control the majority of the media.

Television, the press… generally offer dangerously biased and partisan information to citizens who, also generally, are disoriented because they accept the news they receive in good faith.

As for television, in Spain we have recently witnessed the “merger” of channel "Cuatro"… and now, CNN+! With the exception of public television, the objectivity of Spanish television is going the way of Italy or the U.S.… .

The same may be said of the press. Even traditionally “independent” newspapers are now “global”.

Let’s take action to support the autonomy of the communications media. This is essential for genuine democracy. Citizen power cannot continue to be passive and indifferent. It is scandalous to witness the media’s loyalty to their “sponsors”, normally with a view to elections.

Exceptions are progressively becoming scarce. I must reiterate that those citizens who read newspapers or watch TV channels that are absolutely void of objectivity and “out of focus”… become permanently attuned to lies.

We need and we have the right to truthful information. George Orwell once said, “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act”. For a better future, keeping in mind the coming generations and the voice that we owe them, we must commence a “peaceful revolution” to tell the truth, to have access to information that accurately reflects events as they occur and that enables us to analyze and compare.

In that regard, I am reminded of a French proverb that says that analysis may be devastating, while comparison is consoling.

Will we continue as passive spectators? For how long?

In his excellent speech last October 28^th, the likewise excellent journalist Ignacio Ramonet said “Great regional and even worldwide communications conglomerates want to convert journalism into domesticated entertainment, in a detestable simplification of reality. Anything significant is diluted in trivia and sensationalism replaces analysis. Journalists must reaffirm their fierce will to know and comprehend, to enable them to transmit”.

This is the journalism that we demand today. And either we get it, or we will cease to purchase the newspapers and the products advertised on “dependent” television channels.

The power of citizens will soon be made known.