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 Why The  Press Needs To Evolve

I was reading about a prescription for the Open Society the other day. In it, the writer imagines  a very nice place indeed where citizens: "value open societies that protect the free exchange of ideas, the freedom to criticize, and the liberty to experiment." Those are nice sentiments, but I noticed that they were the exact opposite of what I was seeing from the objectively pro-war, blatant propaganda from my American media channels during Gulf War II. By the way, my wise cable providers have decided that I would be much better off without BBC news and that I would much prefer those half dozen or so QVC channels that I never ever watch. Thanks fellas, or rather thank you Rupert Murdoch, who looks to be the new owner of Direct TV. I'm not sure if that's because of the pom pom like FOX news coverage of the war, but I'm guessing an easy FCC approval and a completely inefficient antitrust inquiry by the Bush justice department in re the merger. I'm sure CNN and MSNBC will get a fair shake on his network. That's the Chicago Way and so forth.

 The writer continues: "We apply critical rationalism to society by holding all institutions and processes open to continued improvement." Now, it's been argued that reporters have never had that much access during wartime and the new embedded journalists are simply a safer way of doing it. Personally, I find the "embedding" process does to journalistic objectivity what "kidnapping" did to Patty Hearst's views on the Symbionese Liberation Army and subsequently her ethical standards involving the robbing  of banks. It simply isn't a healthy relationship.

The media needs to be improved. I'm going to save the big issues of conglomerates and media concentration for another day (Although I think that's a key to why it also isn't very good at applying "critical rationalism" to the problems of the day. They'll be no reporting about the ethics of Murdoch's control of Direct TV on Fox News.) and just focus on the technology behind the news. The military's argument goes something like this: we can't have you out on the field because you might get hurt. In fact, a number of "unilateral" journalists were killed during the hostilities. World class journalist Robert Fisk even thinks Al Jazeera was targeted deliberately. I might be hesitant to agree with this except for the fact that a no doubt errant missile also found its way to Al Jazeera during the Afghanistan War. Twice lucky I'm sure.

To the credit of the journalism profession, now that a lot of the heavy shooting is over, a lot of reporters have "unembedded" in order to see things for themselves. They're to be commended but it's still dangerous out there. It also looks like they'll be more wars, possibly in Syria and Iran if the administration's neocon hawks get their way. So, what does the press corp need? I think it needs Voltron, not the character Voltron from the animated tv series, but the machine. Specifically: news organizations with money should invest in their own fleet of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs), with accompanying AIBO like "soldiers" that can motor down streets, rappel down buildings, and walk through wreckage to get stories too dangerous. I know, it looks like a very cool film, but I'm of the firm belief that this will be the future. In fact, if the profession of journalism is to progress beyond it's current dismal state of obeisance to the state and right-wing media tycoons, it not only has to rethink its relationship to ownership, but improve its core function by emulating the  competencies of detectives and spies.

The cheapest option would simply be remote blimps. You could buy those off the shelf or you could design them for your purpose. Ideally, the blimps should have some kind of camouflage, perhaps covered with adjustable flexible LEDs. Perhaps it could carry a small mobile unit. You could also, in theory use remote controlled planes, cars and other toys. Here in my hometown of Pittsburgh, they're working on a Mars Rover that is autonomous and can survive in hostile environments for many many months at a time. Sounds like those would be good protocols for the Middle East as well.

Just as an example as to how this might work, let's by wild assumption, take a guess that the United States is about to invade Syria. You happen to be a beat reporter for CNN or the BBC. You suspect something bad will happen to the banks and museums in Damascus, which the allied forces have overtaken in a month's time. As a reporter, you'd like to see what's happening but there are still pockets of resistance. You sure would like to see what's happening at the National Museum of Damascus, located right at Shoukry al-Qouwatly Street - Near Takiyeh al Suleimaniyeh. It's too dangerous for you, two-fisted beat reporter Pilger Fisk, to be seen anywhere near that museum. Besides, 19 of your colleagues have died from friendly-fire incidents. No need for you to be a casualty.

In fact, even though you're miles away from the scene you've set up command and control in your Damascus hotel suite.  It's midnight. Your "forces" have been amassed. And over the hotel: three of your Dark Knight Blimps have been dispatched in a triangle several  hundred yards above the Museum. They've been tricked out with both long-range visual and sound sensors. Two of your Speed Racers, gas-fueled mini cars that can travel over 70 miles per hour are on the grounds speeding around obstacles, hiding in dark corners and hearing and seeing everything a thousand yards away. Your cars are carrying mobile walking bots, nicknamed Huey and Dewey, that can climb buildings and that you can operate via telepresence controllers similar to a Playstation or an Xbox. You and your staff play a remote droid minuet where the stakes are the truth. It's midnight. And you wait. And you watch. (Can you tell this a novel that I haven't written yet?)

The next day you will know what the truth was. I'll try to put on everyone's ideological blinders here: simply a repressed people acting out their frustration after years of oppression, professional thieves who have come in the night or American soldiers who were really inspired by the film "Three Kings". There will be those in power who will lie to you. You will have Huey's eye camera truth and the Dark Knight 2's long range sound scans that contradict the "Official State Version." And you will be right and you will live to report another day even though you've taken "casualties". Racer X, Speed's older brother, and Huey don't make it back. You think it's the rumored US militia's droid death squads that got them and of course infantryman look at your droids as prime targets. But there will be other nights and other times for vengeance. Afterall, only machines were lost.

Of course, the truth is very important to the dream of the Open Society. But, and this isn't too hard to imagine, let's imagine a more depressing near future. Rupert Murdoch--in a bid to curry even more power and influence within the administration--simply parrots the Bush Pro-Death agenda. Let's imagine Jeremy Rifkin on the "left" and Leon Kass on the "right" discussing the utility of stem cell research on the O'Reilly Factor. Where does that leave us? It would be nice to have machines like Huey and the Dark Knight Blimp and the Speed Racers watching over us. They might be able to tell us that Leon, who just starts to look younger, has been secretly taking the Singapore synth super anti-oxidants, or why Rifkin now has a head full of hair thanks to applied adult stem cells. Now, if only there was a national news outlet that would air your crazy pro life-extension views. Ah well. One challenge at a time...

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