Guardian Advert

While the message that 'we, the people' have the power to shape news and thus events, I can't help thinking back to one of my undergrad courses in politics and the mass-media. All sorts of questions are raised over such statements. There is certainly a case that the media 'frames' the news in that it chooses what to cover which consequently frames what we discuss as well as the viewpoints we should be considering. Likewise, given that the Press Association thrives on its exclusive access to Government press releases, there is plenty of potential for controlled dissemination of news.

Frequently when reading or watching a news piece I get the feeling I'm being told how to think, as well as an overwhelming feeling of familiarity to the types of stories I'm exposed to. Often it almost feels as if there's some checklist of pre-approved topics and political perspectives from a very narrow paradigm of 'left and right' deemed consumable for the masses. The more I read outside things like the BBC or one of the mainstream papers, the more I notice how limited the terms of reference we're given are. Very rarely do people think outside them.

Still, despite its smug, pretentious, self-righteous reader base, cool advert for The Guardian.