Blog Post #9 Gate Keeping

 

    For this presentation, I had the opportunity to report on one of my favorite controversies—gatekeeping. It’s a term we often hear in everyday conversations, especially online, when someone exclaims, “What’s that song? Where’s that outfit from? Don’t gatekeep!” But beyond social media slang, gatekeeping has serious implications in shaping access to information, resources, and opportunities. Originally a concept in communication studies and sociology, gatekeeping was first introduced by social psychologist Kurt Lewin in the 1940s to describe how information flow is controlled. In 1950, journalist and media scholar David Manning White refined the idea, applying it to newsrooms where editors acted as gatekeepers deciding which stories reached the public. Over time, the concept expanded into various fields, including academia, economics, and entertainment, highlighting the power dynamics that control access. In the 21st century, gatekeeping became a widely used term, often associated with exclusionary behavior in industries, knowledge circles, and even conspiracy theories. One of the most intriguing examples is Hollywood, where secrecy fuels speculation, such as the elite retreat Bohemian Grove, where powerful figures—celebrities, CEOs, and politicians—gather for undisclosed discussions and rituals like the "Cremation of Care" ceremony. Questions remain about the nature of these gatherings and the influence they wield. In science, a major gatekeeping conspiracy suggests that a cure for cancer exists but is deliberately suppressed by pharmaceutical companies and government agencies to protect their billion-dollar industry. Some doctors who claimed to have found a cure died under mysterious circumstances, further fueling speculation. Academia has its own gatekeeping issues, exemplified by Aaron Swartz, the activist who fought for open access to academic research. Charged with computer and wire fraud for downloading research papers from JSTOR, he faced severe legal consequences and took his own life in 2013, sparking global debates about knowledge accessibility. The financial world also has its share of gatekeeping, as revealed by leaks like the Panama and Pandora Papers, which exposed how billionaires, corporations, and politicians hide trillions in offshore accounts while everyday people bear the tax burden. In the music industry, some believe that fame comes at a cost, with rising stars allegedly making deals with powerful secret societies like the Illuminati. Occult symbolism in music videos and career sabotage rumors—like those surrounding Kanye West—fuel speculation that an unseen force controls success. Finally, one of the most fascinating historical examples of gatekeeping is the destruction of the Library of Alexandria. Built in the 3rd century BCE, it housed an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 scrolls on science, philosophy, medicine, mathematics, and astronomy. Whether it was accidentally burned by Julius Caesar’s forces, destroyed by early Christians to suppress pagan knowledge, or lost to some other cause, its destruction erased centuries of invaluable knowledge. Imagine how different civilization might be if that library had survived—perhaps humanity could have advanced in medicine, engineering, and space exploration centuries earlier. Whether in media, finance, academia, or history, gatekeeping continues to shape the world, raising questions about who controls access to knowledge and power.