There are not spectators but active or passive actors

In the reading material for this week there are few very interesting articles that strengthen my hope expressed last week about the role of the internet and the contra-flows in opposition with the pessimistic view about global influence of a hegemonic media system without alternative perspectives that consider ‘others’ consumers.

In the article of Elihu Katz and Tamar Liebes there are well done comments about the role of viewers as decoders and as active readers. In the article of Koichi Iwabuchi called my attention the remarks about how the decentralizing forces of globalization produce a relative decline of American cultural power and open the way in favor of Brazil, Egypt, Hong Kong and Japan as centers of regional media and cultural centers. Besides, and considering the perspective of the consumer, Mark Deuze write about the consumer of media content becoming a producer and co-creator of content in the fields of journalism, games, marketing and advertising.

By the way, regarding with the comment in one of the articles (Katz, 376-377) about the lack of interest to study the point of view of the consumer, probably explains those simplistic statements that describe the readers, viewers or receivers as “passive consumers” because there is not a given reaction. Perhaps, the lack of reaction show lack of interest or disagreement with the content, or acceptance of the fact that there are not means to face a ‘battle’ on that issue or, even more, that the benefit/cost calculus advises the ‘consumer’ against any reaction about the perspective of the transmitter of the ‘news’. I personally think that in front of the media, the public sphere and the social change there are not spectators but active or passive actors.
Agustin Fornell