The future of mass media has become interactive with the object of contemplation being the "Judgements" of a target audience. The standard is changing. I am a perfect example. Although I do not see myself as being that entertaining, I do perform a highly rarified function in our modern celebrity obsessed culture. I am an "Entertainment Medium." And resultantly, "I am the Art of Living Fiction." I am a "True Hoax." I am an "Urban Legend." Do I really exist or am I just another phony cold reader? I like to tell people I am a Professional Psychic, an Entertainment Medium. I never say that I am psychic. As a predictive medium I may be just another bullshit artist. Like a Doctor, or an Economist, or a Lawyer, I make educated guesses. Any of these artists usually works within a community of hopefully well educated authorities in their areas of expertise, but everyone knows about the folly of pretentious authority. Don't get me wrong, I'm not beating up on the wealthy or elite, I'm merely reiterating the "Predictably Inevitable Truth" of the "Second Axiomatic Law of the Para Psychological Method," "EVERYONE HAS BLIND SPOTS AND EVERYONE'S BLIND SPOTS ARE DIFFERENT." With the limited attention and interests that are of necessity hardwired into our brains, we may all be best advised to sometimes "Get a second opinion." (And a third, and sometimes even a fourth opinion when necessary.)
My analytical mapping systems allow me the privilege to take an active inventory of what it is that I don't already know. For anyone working in the Speculative Arts, (Educated Guessing is why we get paid the big bucks,) humility may be a very good thing. Being able to imagine what an answer may look like means that in order to prove my predictions correct, I will want to show my work. All ego aside, (mine died back in "75") our whole belief in freewill is dependent on taking personal responsibility. Yet we must all reach that point where we will need to be able to trust some one else. "Proxy Dependency" and "Authoritation by Proxy" is an inevitable consequence of facing uncertainties. (I so love how Blogger spell check likes to insist this word that I routinely use, "Authoritation" does not exist. Let's see how long that happens.) I observe the variability of these boundaries of "Authority" all the time. My work on "Styles of Approach and Evasion" reflects my attitudes about the dynamics of interpersonal boundary definitions, and the changing language of said authorities.
The Representative Authorities of the mass media are sometimes Carnival Barkers, and sometimes Good Shepherds. The standard is changing.
