Media questions

Media:

How much information should be made available for public consumption?

            We live in an age of information. Research has never been easier to access, and as such the level of education among the general public has risen substantially. However, there are limits as to what one can aces using modern media. There is always the question asked: how much should people be allowed to know? Some information is available that has no concern to us, and some information that should be readily available is not. What should be disclosed?

            My answer is: anything relevant or useful. The public should have access to information that concerns them, their heath, security, or their education. The information needed for a project, scientific research, political truths, these should all be freely available for public consumption.

 

            An example of a situation today where information needs to be made available for the public: The Canada-China free trade agreement. The governments of both countries are not making the details of the agreement known to the public. The document was signed in secret, in Russia, and the only people to view the document prior to signing (from the Canadian side) were six of the Conservative cabinet ministers. All protests from the Canadian populace have been ignored.

(Note: there is also a free trade agreement between Canada and the United States. However, the entire document was made public, can be annulled within 6 months’ notice, and was voted on by the citizens of both countries).

            Information that should not be available to people is stuff that isn’t of any concern. The private details of celebrities, for example, should not be flaunted for public display. It has nothing to do with us and does not affect our lives at all. Anyone’s personal or private information should be kept that way.