Читать книгу Controversy Mapping - Tommaso Venturini - Страница 11

Controversies, it seems, are everywhere in contemporary media. It is impossible to check the news, scroll through one’s social feed, or listen to a podcast without stumbling on some controversial issue.

Sunday, it is the snapshot of a seahorse gripping a cotton-bud in its curvy tail, reigniting the debate about the effects of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and declining biodiversity. Published by an American photographer and environmental activist, the image goes viral on social media and soon gives rise to all sorts of parodies and memes.

Monday, the havoc caused by a tropical cyclone adds fuel to a discussion about the connection between climate change and extreme weather events. TV and radio shows suddenly take an interest in climatologists who can explain how warmer oceans can lead to increased storm activity. Once on air, the discussion quickly drifts from causes to consequences, as architects and engineers suggest the destruction should be blamed on poor urban planning and not on the weather. They subsequently accuse the government of not fulfilling its commitments to adapt to climate change.

Tuesday, the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization is met with a vast street protest against the adverse consequences of economic globalization in perpetuating poverty in the Global South. The demonstration takes authorities by surprise. The activists have organized for months through an encrypted messaging system and use social media to create improvised flash mobs in various parts of the city.

Wednesday, a group of endocrinologists and environmental scientists publish an open letter in a prestigious international journal urging governments to take action against a series of commonly used chemicals in agriculture and cosmetics that are accused of being carcinogenic and causing hormonal disorders. The scientists criticize the lack of regulation, but also a media campaign by industrial lobbyists trying to promote a false sense of scientific uncertainty around the effects of these substances.

Thursday, the CEO of an online platform is called to testify before Congress about a massive data leak exposing millions of its users and their personal information to fraudulent marketing schemes and deceptive political campaigns. Discussions ensue about the exceptionality of the situation, as media scholars note that selling personal data for targeted advertising is a standard business model of online platforms. A group of activist-developers seizes the opportunity to launch a peer-to-peer social network where users own their data.

Friday, a forgotten rural town makes the headlines of national newspapers after a confrontation over the construction of a new wind farm. Two unusual coalitions face each other. On the one side, inhabitants worried about noise levels, spoiled views and decreased land value, as well as a group of ecologists protesting the location of large turbines in the path of a major bird migration route. On the other side, the municipal developers, representatives of the wind industry, and another group of ecologists supporting the transition to renewable energy.

Saturday, a boat with African migrants is refused the right to dock at a Mediterranean port and a legal battle breaks out between activists who accuse the state of disregarding the Law of the Sea and basic human rights, and the state accuses the activists of aiding and encouraging illegal migration. A quarrel also arises on the publication of the photos of the overcrowded boat. Some argue that the pictures sensitize the public to the struggles of migrants; others that they promote a sense of siege in the population of affluent countries, thus supporting the discourse of populist and nationalist parties.