Media and Medium

Thinking about the easy accessibility of the internet and the professionalism of and validity lent to printed academic materials, I think the work Ruben and I plan to do in Amsterdam should be placed both a) on the internet (perhaps merely this blog) and b) in a formal academic paper setting. I can see why Mike Wesch would have chosen youtube as the most appropriate form of communicating his findings, considering his research centered around phenomena like youtube and other easily accessible, public-based sites. However I feel the subjects with which Ruben and I plan to engage-- religion and politics-- are too senstitive to ethically post our findings on such an informal and open means of communication. Thinking about the damage caused, stereotypes perpetrated, and impressions made by internet video releases like Fitna and Submission (which granted were partial and not objective research), I do not feel like a public domain or sharing medium would be an appropriate mode of communicating our research. I do however think that, considering the relevance of the interactions between religion and community, certain elements of our project deserve their airtime in a place accessible to an audience of our peers and those interested, possibly these blogs. However, for the most part I feel that an academic written form-- obviously not a book but perhaps an article or compilation of observations and insights-- is the most appropriate and ethical form of communicating our work. The conference will also be a suitable venue in which to share our study, in a place dedicated to the objective study of social phenomena rather than in the emotional public eye.