Digital technology is having a beneficial effect to encourage broadcasting freedom. It is generally felt that freedom means the opportunity to say what you like, even if it risks causing offence to certain groups. In the internet, there is unlimited freedom in theory. In some aspects, unlimited freedom can be harmful to society ie child pornography on the internet, however, in some aspects the wide range of views which are expressed on the internet can be beneficial, causing debate and discussion and allowing a wide range of opinoins, on a controversial subject through comments and blogs to be expressed and viewed in a way that, in the UK at least, taste and decency and concerns over ‘political correctness’ may ensure that views can be edited or modified in either the printed world or the TV/Radio medium of dialogue.
However, on the internet there is a full element of freedom of opinoins, especially on the subjects of personal opinoins about controversial subjects. On http://pajamasmedia.com/ which is a conservative blog based in USA. There is an opinoin piece on the conflicts between protecting differing ‘minorities’ in a multicultural society.
http://pajamasmedia.com/2008/01/first_they_came_for_the_gays.php
In this blog, the blogger, bruce bawer, an American who has written a book, now published called “while europe slept. How radical islam is destroying the west from within” starts with a provocative comment “Europe is slowly but surely succumbing to Islamization” then goes on to establish facts based on a combination of his own personal experience and interviews with certain individuals to ‘prove’ his case that Europe is sleeping into a islamised future, one that will effect gay people first. Using deliberately confrontational language, the blogger proves his point, however, he can oversimplify his belief system at times into a classic western vs muslim standpoint. He is able to put his point accross by directly singling islam and muslim culture out for critisicim. Other people, notably Theo Van Gogh and Pim Fortuyn have done this, however, they appeared to have been ignored or patronised by the mainstream media (or at least they felt that they were being patronised by the mainstream media), however on the internet they can express themselves without fear of censure. The book that bruce bawer has published has mainly been ignored by the mainstream media, however, on the internet it is to some degree interested.
The comments after the blog are, to some degree quite offensive, however, on the internet, particulaly on the Pajamas media blog, they remain uncensored. Editors in major newspapers, Radio and TV broadcasters have to be respectful to ‘equality’ legislation.
However, it is unquestionably a essential part of a ‘free’ society that all opinoins must be fully expressed. Digital technology is providing an essential format to hear the full range of opinoins.
