ABSTRACT
The scale of computer networks and the relatively low cost of posting material mean that an enormous range of viewpoints on political social issues will be potentially available. Such variety is generally seen as fundamental to good journalism. However, for most people, the sheer volume of material will undercut the possibility that they will be able to encounter, let alone think about, a wide variety of news and commentary. Individuals cannot sort through the volume of available material themselves; hence, as a practical matter, organizational and institutional powers will largely control the scope and nature of the variety that is readily available to them, and, as a consequence, certain viewpoints and understandings will not appear while others will be stressed (Gandy, 1997).
