Blog Post #11

 EOTO Presentation #2

        During these presentations, one thing in particular stood out to me. That was the idea of "gatekeeping". Gatekeeping has become a popular social media term that means "the intentional withholding of information, knowledge, access, or opportunity - keeping these things all to yourself". This term is often used when online personalities do not reveal details about little things such as the music they listen to or the clothes they are wearing, creating a feeling of exclusivity. However, gatekeeping within the government is an incredibly important issue that limits access to different information. Gatekeeping refers to filtering information for decimation. The government uses this to hide certain things from the American public. It changes how we receive information. 

    Gatekeeping is not only used by the government. In the 1950s, gatekeeping was brought into the newsroom. News anchors were able to limit the information they shared to the public. This led to an imbalance in power dynamics. Those in charge of creating news scripts now had power over the American people. The American people began to receive filtered information without their knowledge. People were unaware of what they were missing.  

    Since then, gatekeeping has been used in many different fields. Gatekeeping is prevalent in Hollywood. There is a place known as "Bohemian Grove", a secret elite retreat in California where different powerful figures go each year. Ranging from former presidents to CEOs and musicians, the details are unknown. They all partake in grand discussions and unusual rituals, but no one knows exactly what goes on. The public has begin to question why these people attend this retreat and the purpose of it. Why do all of these powerful figures gather together? Is there something bigger behind the scenes that the public is not aware of? It is likely the public will never find out. 

    Gatekeeping has also being used countless times in the science world. It is commonly believed that the cure for cancer has been found. However, the economic impact of the cancer industry has caused the scientists who made this discovery to be silenced. Large medical companies make billions off of cancer treatments, CEOs of these companies do not want to lose this revenue. The same thing goes for Covid. Many companies made millions or even billions off of products necessary to survive covid or prevent covid. Hand sanitizer, masks, paper goods, and even vaccines are all manufactured by companies trying to make a profit. Again, these CEOs do not want to lose huge streams of revenue. 

    One of the most interesting examples of gatekeeping came from the music industry. The idea of artists selling their soul to some "power" or "Illuminati" was not something I was aware of until this year. The various conspiracies and secret meetings between artists however does lead me to believe there are some dark industry secrets. There have been numerous examples of artists speaking out against these secret societies who then suddenly face different controversies or career failure. One of the most notable being Kanye West. When he attempted to expose these controversies, his career and his public image suddenly faced a steep decline. The real reason could absolutely be due to his mental health, however, it is unclear. 

    While gatekeeping does play an important role in learning information from the government, we still see this idea impact countless other elements of our lives. Gatekeeping is a dangerous tool to prevent the spreading of information. Transparency must be advocated for. 

Blog Post #7

 Antiwar

    While I had heard the term antiwar, I previously did not comprehend what other ideas came along with this. Antiwar is not just being opposed to war, it is about taking efforts away from foreign policy. Antiwar activists do not believe that we should not be completely uninvolved in global affairs or to prevent conflict, they simply believe more effort should be placed in fighting domestic issues. Many antiwar individuals are advocating for a stronger voice in the government and to limit the centralization of the current US government. They are advocating for problems to be solved and promote "freedom" once again. 

    Not only are they advocating for individual freedom, but they are advocating for more viewpoints to be shared. They are advocating for different opinions in the media. They are asking citizens to become more informed. Citizens should hear multiple viewpoints and receive all of the facts about different situations in order to determine their stance on a particular issue. The media today has become overran by wealthy individuals with different agendas. The media is no longer about informing the public, it is about pushing the agenda that either benefits the owner of the media company or making money. 

    In an article published by the Daily Take Team in 2014, the referred to the media as "infotainment". Infotainment is essentially all about attracting people to watch and the money that increased viewership brings in. The interests of promoting positive things for citizens or our country are no longer important. The media just wants to bring in money. Reporting on war and other conflict is a perfect way to do that. Not only that, but back in 2003 before the invasion of Iraq, MSNBC was owned by an electric company that makes billions of dollars from war. One of their hosts that was opposed to this invasion then suddenly"stepped away" from the network. Media networks are constantly showing support for war and hosting guests to show their support as well. The public is not being exposed to these antiwar opinions largely in part to the economic impact of war. 

    After exploring these websites, many of their ideas caused me to think and evaluate my agreement with. the government's actions. With so many Americans struggling with hunger, homelessness, and addiction, I began to question the importance of foreign policy. There are so many different issues that must be tackled in our own nation to promote individual freedom, which reflects the principle ideas our country was founded upon. I believe that in order to promote growth as a nation, our government must place more interest with it's own citizens. I also believe that antiwar voices should be promoted more in mainstream media. While I am not sure I agree with all of their ideas, I still believe that it is our right to be exposed to these ideas. As citizens, we have the right to receive unbiased information. While this may be difficult, promoting and exposing the economic interests of many mainstream media networks will be critical for creating a more informed America.