the promise and peril of the knowledge era. Your answer to each item should be an essay of 350 to 800 words in length. (With a typical font and spacing, this comes to between 1½ and 3 pages.) It is recommended that you refer to outside sources as you consider these issues. Be sure to document your sources correctly.
1. How has the media’s objectivity been affected by the explosion of information sources? Will individuals increasingly live in worlds of their own ideological and moral construction by further isolating themselves from competing ideas? Are we entering an era of “choose your truth”? How does information technology further expand the same rifts between civilizations and between individuals in the same communities? How does it bridge those divides?

2. Information technology has changed the context in which governments must operate. Individual citizens and groups now have the ability to quickly organize and contest or influence the direction and mode of governance. From 24/7 news to flash mobs to blogs to political tell-alls, the rapid flow of information demands rapid results from systems of governance. How has information technology compressed the ability of governments and organizations across the board to implement long-term strategic planning? How has information technology redefined sovereign and cultural borders? How can the government leverage information technology to “fight back”? What kinds of skills and resources are needed by both the people sending the message and those receiving the information?