Politics in the Age of Information

The American Association of Independent Voters, (previously known as Friends of Ernest) was originally founded to promote public interest in our government systems. At that time we were focused on analyzing government facts and figures for the purpose of making them clear and understandable. We believed then, as we do now that a good voter is an informed voter.

Although our methods have changed over the years, our reasoning remains the same. We believe it’s essential that voters have reliable and accurate information in order to make informed decisions at the ballot box. But facts can be easily reassembled and manipulated into any number of combinations that serve preconceived agendas. It’s called media spin.

The news coverage of the 2004 presidential election campaigns has provided ample evidence that the media establishment has suffered some erosion of credibility. And it’s long past the point where we need to continue the debate on media bias. Slanted news is a fact, not a theory.   

Nowadays, the public has access to such an abundance of news sources that no one has to rely exclusively on the mainstream media for their information. Alternative sources like talk radio, the internet and cable news have become the subject of a new and popular term: New Media.

For a number of years, the traditional news establishment has been gradually losing their monopoly over the distribution of information. For those who have been paying particularly close attention to media trends, this fact is—well, old news. Hence another term that is becoming popular: Old Media.

There was a time when the authoritative words of TV anchors and newspaper editors went largely unchallenged. That is no longer the case. The New Media has not only risen to that challenge, they’ve provided a compelling case for how unreliable the mainstream media has become. From forged documents and fabricated stories, to partisan agendas and political tampering, the New Media has been there to expose the misdeeds of the news industry.  

The New Media revolution has evolved into an important component of public political discussion and has taken its rightful place in the media mainstream. To debate this with the naysayers who can’t seem to accept reality is as pointless as debating whether or not the earth is round. You either hop on board a ship and head out for the New World or you get left behind. The choice is yours.

The American Association of Independent Voters is here to provide an independent perspective from outside the Old Media status quo. We recognize there’s a difference between news as useful information and political talking points posing as news. We untangle the media spin and present a forum for voters who seek practical alternatives to the old political orthodoxies.