Misrepresentations and masquerades — these ideas have preoccupied me this summer. Seeing through them to truthful versions feels as if it’s growing more and more onerous. Is it really MY responsibility to figure out whether an “expert” holding forth in the media is actually in the employ of a corporation or PR firm? Much as I accept (and sometimes go on about) personal responsibility for filtering information critically, at the moment I feel quite bad tempered over the degree to which ordinary people like myself have to be on guard the whole time against being conned on some of the most important social and environmental issues of our day.
In an article entitled “Punditry for sale” in July’s Le Monde Diplomatique, Sebastian Jones pulls together information on “covert corporate influence peddling” on cable TV networks and the impact on public opinion: “No single appearance can damage legislation and reform, yet there is a cumulative effect from hundreds of appearances by dozens of lobbyists and influence peddlers that helps to drive press coverage and public opinion.”
