• by Jeff Einstein , February 1, 2005

The default environment on many new computers and e-mail clients (both online and off) is essentially ad-free (with the notable exception of keyword-based search ads). Spam filters and pop-up blockers are active out of the box.

Seemingly at least, the hardware manufacturers and software publishers have wrested default control of the online user experience from marketers and advertisers, and in so doing have returned to the consumer the option to opt into the clutter instead of forcing them to opt out. This is a good thing; we should always have the option to opt into something before we are offered the option to opt out.

It's a good thing, despite the protests of some online publishers and many media professionals who make their living in online marketing and advertising -- the same folks who generate much of the clutter that occasioned the rise of environmental controls like spam filters, pop-up blockers, and DVRs.

Apparently there are some among us who feel more than a little threatened by the prospects of fewer ads. Some have even gone so far as to predict the death of advertising as we know it.

While I hardly envision the death of advertising (on the contrary, gross ad spending will continue to grow), one thing I do envision is the rise of PR as a more effective and cost-efficient marketing tool. In a world wherein the demarcation between media fact and fiction has been all but obliterated over the past several years, the stock of PR -- much less encumbered than advertising by little things like the truth -- can only rise.

I know it's difficult for some folks to imagine something less encumbered by the truth than advertising, but the PR industry already employs more people than advertising, and its distribution through media news franchises -- regardless of verifiable truth -- is already universal.

And therein lies the problem: The ascent of PR as a marketing tool and the extent to which it drives the news media not only further blurs the distinction between fact and fantasy, but also complicates any decision for consumers to opt either in or out.

We know ads when we see them (most of the time, at least), but unfortunately we can't say the same about PR, especially not when it's delivered by a news anchor. How do we know what we're opting into or out of?

A signature characteristic of all obsessions and addictions is their tendency to co-op and moderate our internal debates as they seek to advance and promote their own self-interests. Our obsession with and addiction to the media is no exception.

Almost every big news story nowadays is eventually subsumed by the larger story, the story of the media coverage itself. The biggest ongoing story in the media is the story of the media, the story behind the story. Media literacy, one of the fastest growing fields of study worldwide, is all about the story behind the story.

Any truths or untruths inherent in the CBS/Dan Rather coverage of George W. Bush's National Guard service were eventually buried in the bigger story behind the story. The same was true with the news coverage of John Kerry and the swiftboat veterans. The same is also true with stories behind the stories about the rise of political 527s, or the war in Iraq for that matter.

Deciphering the news nowadays is like looking down a staircase designed by M.C. Escher; instead of walking away with more usable knowledge (the kind, for instance, that might result in a more informed citizenry and hence more robust democracy), we walk away with a severe case of media vertigo. We no longer know whom to trust because we no longer know what we're opting into when we tune into the news, or opting out of when we turn it off.

What are your thoughts?

Many thanks, as always, and best to you and yours...

Please note: The Einstein's Corner discussion group at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/einsteinscorner/ is dedicated to exploring the adverse effects of our addictions to technology and media on the quality of our lives, both at work and at home. Please feel free to drop by and join the discussion.