Ben Kuchera, of Ars Technica, writes about the relationship between game software developers and game reviewers, and the mechanisms each have at their disposal to manipulate the other, namely paid advertising and access to information.
It’s a good practical example of some of mechanisms that corrupt a “free press” in a capitalist society and, of course, similar mechanisms are at play with governments and news media.
The writer says there is no easy solution except for reader beware. He’s correct, there is no solution under capitalism, because it’s an inherent problem of capitalism. The only proposed solution I know of is under a different economy.
Update, 7 Sep 2008: Here’s a recent example of a politician doing the same thing. i.e. manipulating news media by withholding access to information, thus ultimately lowering the ability of the targeted new media organisation to make profits.
Davis insisted that “there are no strings attached” to media access to McCain. Yet just this week, McCain abruptly canceled an interview with Larry King as punishment for a tough CNN interview with one of his spokesmen. What’s more, top McCain aide Mark Salter said that “only the good reporters” would get the best seats in the new campaign plane. “You have to earn it,” he said.
Update, 22 Sep 2008: Changed Parecon link from Wikipedia to Znet.