How open IS Indymedia ?

national | arts and media | opinion/analysis

Thursday January 20, 2005 19:21

by Media_Matters - Private individual

Can a truly open forum exist at all?

A query to users of this website, regarding the 'openess' of a self-styled open media forum.

I wish to pose a question to the users of this website:

Can this website live up to the objective of being a truly open forum, which it has set itself?

Notwithstanding the occasional need to edit stories that are too long and the need to remove copy that is blatantly libelous, is it possible for Indymedia to be truly open, given that the overwhelming number of people who would use a forum like this are people who do so because they believe it is a better information forum than the traditional media fora, such as those controlled by privately owned print and broadcast organisations?

Following on from this, is it not the case that the content on an open forum, despite its best intentions, reflects the interests of its users, and as such this forum is no different editorially to any right of centre forum where it would attempt to promulgate a certain worldview by prioritising news stories and other information based on ideological considerations?

For instance, imagine if a centre-right information website posted news stories on such topics as 'Bush administration vows to protect the life of the unborn' or 'Ahern government builds strong links with US to boost Irish jobs' . If this fictional centre-right website allowed dissenters to post objections on their news stories, as does Indymedia, then how would this differ in practice from Indymedia, insofar as both would operate along the exact same editorial process - whereby dissenters are accomodated as an aside to the ideological prioritisation of news and comment which determines the content of the site? Aside from this, what remains on such a site is surely little different than any other internet chat-room, or is it?

A quick perusal of the news items on Indymedia over a few days shows that the news items posted on Indymedia are mostly pro-left of centre. I am not saying this is a bad thing nor am I saying it is a good thing.
However, is it possible that the apparent ideological leaning within the prioritised news and information on the Indymedia website has morphed the website into a left of centre chat page, and that it cannot make claim to being balanced in any particular way, or do you disagree with such a suggestion?

I'm sure some respondents will question the agenda, background and motives of a non-positive post such as this.
I don't have any particular gripe with Indymedia. I am not a regular user of the site as I am wary of the lack of transparency inherent in anonymous online messages (I do see the irony of this as my own name is withheld. I do not believe there is sufficient accountability in ananymous posts nor do I expect people to take this post more seriously than I would do so myself, which is also one of the possible flaws in any online news forum).
I do not have any simple answers to my own questions but I am curious about what users will write in reply.

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