For those who love life in the Mountains.
News
Traditional Media is dying. Newspapers and television and radio are hemorrhaging eyeballs. Several large newspapers have already gone under. It's all part of trends that have been gathering for years. First the costs have grown, making it easier for corporations to snap up media outlets. Of course corporation's deep pockets have made it possible to buy sufficient legislators to keep regulators off their backs. And we all know what corporations want, what CEOs want, what investors want. Profits.
So, gradually, in search of profits corporations have ground down the integrity of the news media. Now it's almost gone. To many outright lies, too many shills for Govt or corporate "spin," too many coverups.
People go to the Internet for their news now. News on the Internet isn't neccessarily any more honest than news in the newspapers, but you can read the same story from widely differing sources and make up your own mind. And if some Blogger fails to research a story completely there are a thousand self appointed "fact checkers," ready, and eager, to take him down.
It is arguable that the news we need the most would be local news. News that effects us directly and tangibly. Sure the convulsions in Washington and Wall Street are of interest to us, but equally vital is the name of our County Representatives and their voting records on local issues. Personally I'd like to see our Local Press survive. I'm pretty sure both the Newport Plain Talk, and The Mountain Press, are going to heroic measures to survive and bring us the news, we should support that effort with our cash. They each have online versions as well.
But what neither of them has is sufficient income to investigate an entire seething County and report it's affairs. And neither of them can afford to tick off corporate advertisers whose advertising income could make the difference between survival and disaster for the paper.
But we still need that mews. To make plans we all need true information about what is going on around us. Democracy itself is based on an informed citizenry.
We have one advantage in being an online community and that is that we can communicate efficiently "laterally," meaning that information spreads out directly to all participants without first going through a "Writer" and then an "Editor" who decides if it is news at all. In this case the "Readers" or "Users" if you will, decide if it's news or not. If we post something that is not true, we can expect a dozen or so folks to call us on it. Eventually, as it passes through many hands, the truth gets hammered out, and judged for it's newsworthiness.
Therefore I am calling on the Citizens of Sevier and Cocke Counties to share with us here, what you know. Where are the jobs? Who sells the cheapest gas? Why are all the Oaks dying? Who has the flu? Why can't we get the law changed to allow composting toilets? Who is getting married? Who won a scholarship? Where are wells going dry? Or becoming contaminated with septic waste? Is the cost of firewood gonna rise this winter? What animal clinic gives the best deal for treating your pet? Are the Farmer's I see planting corn for bio-fuels making any money? Who has a son or daughter in Iraq, or Afghanistan? How are their families doing? These questions and many more that you can think of are yours to answer right here on the Cosby Co-operative "Voice Of The People."
Incidentally, some rules. Keep it polite or face DELETION.
Your story must be either an eyewitness account or the result of actual research with citations we can check. Impuning people's character or just insulting them gets you DELETED. If you have charges to make then make them, and provide proof, or just keep it to yourself.
So, gradually, in search of profits corporations have ground down the integrity of the news media. Now it's almost gone. To many outright lies, too many shills for Govt or corporate "spin," too many coverups.
People go to the Internet for their news now. News on the Internet isn't neccessarily any more honest than news in the newspapers, but you can read the same story from widely differing sources and make up your own mind. And if some Blogger fails to research a story completely there are a thousand self appointed "fact checkers," ready, and eager, to take him down.
It is arguable that the news we need the most would be local news. News that effects us directly and tangibly. Sure the convulsions in Washington and Wall Street are of interest to us, but equally vital is the name of our County Representatives and their voting records on local issues. Personally I'd like to see our Local Press survive. I'm pretty sure both the Newport Plain Talk, and The Mountain Press, are going to heroic measures to survive and bring us the news, we should support that effort with our cash. They each have online versions as well.
But what neither of them has is sufficient income to investigate an entire seething County and report it's affairs. And neither of them can afford to tick off corporate advertisers whose advertising income could make the difference between survival and disaster for the paper.
But we still need that mews. To make plans we all need true information about what is going on around us. Democracy itself is based on an informed citizenry.
We have one advantage in being an online community and that is that we can communicate efficiently "laterally," meaning that information spreads out directly to all participants without first going through a "Writer" and then an "Editor" who decides if it is news at all. In this case the "Readers" or "Users" if you will, decide if it's news or not. If we post something that is not true, we can expect a dozen or so folks to call us on it. Eventually, as it passes through many hands, the truth gets hammered out, and judged for it's newsworthiness.
Therefore I am calling on the Citizens of Sevier and Cocke Counties to share with us here, what you know. Where are the jobs? Who sells the cheapest gas? Why are all the Oaks dying? Who has the flu? Why can't we get the law changed to allow composting toilets? Who is getting married? Who won a scholarship? Where are wells going dry? Or becoming contaminated with septic waste? Is the cost of firewood gonna rise this winter? What animal clinic gives the best deal for treating your pet? Are the Farmer's I see planting corn for bio-fuels making any money? Who has a son or daughter in Iraq, or Afghanistan? How are their families doing? These questions and many more that you can think of are yours to answer right here on the Cosby Co-operative "Voice Of The People."
Incidentally, some rules. Keep it polite or face DELETION.
Your story must be either an eyewitness account or the result of actual research with citations we can check. Impuning people's character or just insulting them gets you DELETED. If you have charges to make then make them, and provide proof, or just keep it to yourself.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ning The Merciless on -
I live just on the line in Sevier County, I go to the County Seat for my car registration and so on, but I do all my shopping in Newport (Less traffic, shorter drive, lower prices.) Below is a very good page providing business data on Sevier County. Despite the downturn in development and tourism Sevier remains a huge potential market with a county population in July 2007: of 83,527 (35% urban, 65% rural.)
http://www.city-data.com/county/Sevier_County-TN.html
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