Podcasting Responsibly

I know, I know; that has an ominous ring to it.  What I have to say today I have strong feelings about.  I do not, and will not, tolerate censorship because I know that I am pretty much in control of what I read, watch and listen to.  It is my responsibility and I cannot blame someone else for my choices.  However, when someone else’s actions give me, or someone else, no choice, then I become a little more reactionary.  One thing I feel very strongly about is people unwilling to take responsibility for what they do that can have an adverse affect on others.  The second thing that aggravates me quite strongly, is people not looking far enough into the future and weighing the possibilities of their actions on others, in particular, on young, impressionable children that can be inadvertantly affected whether directly or indirectly; intentionally or unintentionally.

I guess this is somewhat prompted by the recent death of the lady by water toxication.  Even though the person had signed a release, the people running the contest/promo for the radio station were given opportunity to prevent what happened, but did not.  They were advised as to what could happen and they chose to ignore that advice in the name of a signed release and a contest.  In my thinking, this is inexcusable. 

I don’t want to get into a legal discussion and I don’t want to get hung up on the non-issues of this incident.   I merely use it as an example of what can happen when we, as people in the world, act irresponsibly.  This incident is a great example of how something that was intended to generate interest and lightheartedness could turn into such a sad disaster.  I really don’t  think the people involved intended for it to turn out the way it did, BUT, it did anyway and it is their responsibility and they should accept it. 

The decision they made to let her continue was based on ignorance I am sure but that does not relieve them of their responsibility in the incident.  Their decision leaves a family without a mother and a number of people upset with their unbelieveable stupidity and insensitivity.  Maybe all of them should have known better, but none of that will change the present.  (We all know that hind-sight offers the opportunity for 100% perfect sight.) 

I have to admit, this is an unusual subject for podcasting.  I bring it up because it shows what can happen when we don’t consider the consequences of what we call our “right” to say and do anything we want with our podacsts.  Although we do have the “right”, we also need to be responsible enough to pursue our movement forward with a vision for the positive advancement of the medium.  Yes, it is true the audience will, in the end, dictate who stays and who goes.  If we present  our podcasts responsibly, there is no limit to the freedom we can experience with our divergent forms of expression.

See ya next time . . .