By rushing to condemn Big Media, you have forgotten that the basic tenet that ‘media’ is a plural term and that media by its very nature are meant to provide a contested and contentious space. It’s a market place of ideas and counter-ideas. Media pluralism is achieved by accommodating the widest possible range of opinions, not just those that hold personally dear.

I don’t defend press barons or media moguls, but at the same time, I don’t believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The over-romanticised community media cannot, at this time and level of technology, fully replace the commercially operated mainstream media. So why not harness ALL types of media in the public interest? That’s the simple, overarching point I’m making in my essay.

For a good discussion on media bias and objectivity, read this op ed essay by Rohan Samarajiva titled ‘Fair or Bias’, written in January 2009 in honor of the slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge. Here’s an excerpt:

“When newspapers strive to reach the largest possible readership and deliver the greatest value to their advertisers, they seek to present a balance. The New York Times carries columns by Bob Herbert and Paul Krugman from the Left and David Brooks and William Kristol from the Right. But most people know the Times is liberal. If you really want conservative, you’d read the Wall Street Journal, or watch Fox News.

“The realistic objective is an overall media environment made up of multiple news products with different biases. The balance is in the environment, not in the individual channels or newspapers…”

Read full essay at http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?nid=292089155