be careful of what you wish for...

2019. Over the last ten years we've seen a continuing growth in electronic devices and means for delivering content. Where and how to get content (i.e., news) is no longer a problem—no child, no adult has been left behind in the United States. The government, at an incredible cost to society, is making some type of device available to children in grade school and great-great grandma in the hinterlands. The twenty-somethings that ten years ago were enthralled with the ability to be connected with anyone, anytime, anywhere are saying enough!

2019 now sees a society that wants to rollback. Frustrated with how what was once called “”new media” and seemingly a good thing has become a source of pain—too much access to me by too many people, particularly my government.

In reflection, citizen journalism is now one of those things that “seemed like a good idea at the time.” Wow! First-hand reporting from people on the scene that had no agenda (unlike those media elite that we loathed!). But now we see the results. Everybody trying to tell me everything all the time. Now those thirty-somethings are finding they don’t what to believe or even where to go to get something they can believe. Yeah, nice that now-two term former President Obama wanted to talk directly to us but, even with his good intentions wenow know that he wasn’t the messiah. He wasn’t infallible. And, even worse, he wasn’t challenged.

The now twenty-somethings revolt against what they see happening. A new movement begins. Call it nostalgia. Call it revolting. They want “change.” Concerned more about their privacy, they watched what has been happening over the last ten years and don’t want they style of life. They’re not introverts, just a movement that did look at the Constitution and conclude that maybe those old guys got it right. Maybe those rights they gave to the press should be practiced once again. No more free passes and direct access. They want a press that challenges what government wants to do to us and for us. They’re pissed we bailed out everybody ten years ago but the one group that the Founding Fathers saw a need to give special rights to protect our freedom.

So, what do we see in 2019. A resurgence of media with business models adapted to the times that are free and independent and have this thing they call a “code of ethics.” Hmm… not such a bad thing.