Indymedia - in danger

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday December 05, 2002 10:53 by Fremen

Is Indymedia's aim of providing news being usurped by negativity.

The purpose of Indymedia is to provide a "news" service which is independent of the editorial policy of the millionaire press and television and radio news which is heavily influenced by government press statements and spin doctors. To provide people with information on the struggles, campaigns, & activites of working class and young people in Ireland and internationally.
Many of the postings attempt to fulfill this role. However it seems that this site is increasingly becoming a place were a small number of people (who seem to have very little else to do) spend their time and take up space on this facility to simply vent their spleen at the politics of individuals or parties which they disagree with.
Debate is healthy, however when it degenerates into infantile name calling and misrepresentation of ideas it becomes negative and destructive.
There is a real danger that many of the people who currently access this facility to gain information and news will simply stop using it because of the negative bickering of the few.
Indymedia needs to exam ways of discouraging this "sectarian" squabbling and instead actively promote the genuine news and information postings. Otherwise it will become a site dominated by the frustrated few and its "mission" will fail.