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a variety of issues. The question is: will the alternative media ignore WikiLeaks and isolate themselves, or will they engage with WikiLeaks and prevent the mainstream corporate media from having a “monopoly of interpretation", which becomes inherently propagandistic. If we do not reach out to this new and growing audience, we are left talking to each other, further isolating ourselves and ultimately becoming subverted and ineffective for change. We need to reach out to new audiences, and this is an incredible opportunity to do so. People are interested, people are curious, people are hungry for more. a variety of issues. The question is: will the alternative | However, while they may not necessarily be revelations, media ignore WikiLeaks and isolate themselves, or will they are in fact confirmations and vindications and they they engage with WikiLeaks and prevent the mainstream bring more information to the analysis. It is in this tha corporate media from having a "monopoly of a great opportunity lies. For since the leaks support and interpretation", which becomes inherently _ better inform our perspectives, we can build on this propagandistic. If we do not reach out to this new and ~=concept and examine how WikiLeaks adds to and growing audience, we are left talking to each other, — supports critical analysis. further isolating ourselves and ultimately becoming For those who are newly interested and looking for subverted and ineffective for change. We need to reach __ information, or for those who are having their previous out to new audiences, and this is an incredible perceptions challenged, it is the alternative media and opportunity to do so. People are interested, people are critical voices alone that can place that information in a curious, people are hungry for more. wider context for everyone else. In this, more people wil see how it is the alternative media with their critica WikiLeaks and the Media perspectives which are more reflective of reality than, Instead of deriding WikiLeaks as "not telling us say, the mainstream media (for which WikiLeaks is a anything we didn't know before", perhaps the alternative __"revelation"). Thus, more people may soon start turning media should use the popularity and momentum of _ to alternative media and ideas; after all, our perspectives WikiLeaks to take from it the documentation and have been vindicated, not those of the mainstream analysis that further media (though they attempt to strengthen our arguments and spin it as such). , 4 beliefs. This will allow for However, no other organise sudiences of interested people | _LNe fact that these people fiero nccing ae much worldwide, to place the are reading and discovering material as quickly and with wider context ang| —_‘€W things for which they Fan leony media. if the understanding. are developing an interest is leaks initially only made it The reports from WikiLeaks . . into alternative media, then are "revelations" only to those an incredible change. the information would only who largely adhere to the have reached those who are "illusions" of the world: that already reading the alternative we live in "democracies" press. promoting "freedom" around the world and at home, In that, they would not have been such grand etc. The "revelations", however, are not simply _ "revelations" and would have had a muted effect. In challenging American perceptions of America but the _ their global exposure of WikiLeaks material (never mind perceptions of all nations and their populations. The _ their slanted and propagandistic interpretations), the fact that these people are reading and discovering new mainstream media have changed the dynamic and things for which they are developing an interest is an significance of the information. By reaching wider and incredible change. new audiences, the alternative and critical voices can This is likely why the corporate media are so heavily co-opt these new audiences and lead them away from involved in the dissemination of this information (which the realm of information "control" into the realm o itself is a major source of suspicion for the alternative information "access". This is potentially one of the media): to control the interpretation of the message. It greatest opportunities presented for the alternative and is the job of the alternative media, intellectuals and critical voices of the world. other thinking individuals to challenge that The WikiLeaks releases are a globally transformative interpretation with factual analysis. The WikiLeaks — event, not simply in terms of awakening new people to releases actually give us more facts to place within and = "new" information but also in terms of the effect it is support our interpretations than they do for the having upon global power structures themselves. With corporate media. ambassadors resigning, diplomats being exposed as We must ask why the WikiLeaks releases are liars and tools, political rifts developing between "revelations" for most people. Well, they are surprising western imperial allies, and many careers and simply for the fact that the media themselves have such reputations of elites around the world at great risk, a strong hold on the access to, dissemination and __ WikiLeaks is creating the potential for an enormous interpretation of information. They are revelations deterioration in the effectiveness of imperialism and because people are indoctrinated with myths. They are domination. This, in itself, is an admirable and worthy not revelations to the alternative media because we _ goal. That this is already a reality is representative of have been talking about these things for years. how truly transformative WikiLeaks is and could be. The fact that these people are reading and discovering new things for which they are developing an interest is an incredible change. 18 * NEXUS FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com