Response of Ray Bradbury to the needs of the information society

Abstract

This article analyzes the current situation in the information society, the role of journalism in shaping mass consciousness, accessibility of information and the coming to power of marginals on the novel by R. Bradbury «Fahrenheit 451». Mass society is depicted as self-destructive. Here is emphasized that mass people are not able to understand their position; their salvation is to be led by an elite minority. Responsible for the creation of mass man and society the author of the novel lays on media focused on the primitive consumer through the visuals. The disaster started with the removal of verbal information from the cultural space. The idea is expressed that, like the hero of Bradbury, contemporary society can be saved by the Internet as a means to access the transformed book culture; only referring to book knowledge, mankind is able to produce spiritual leaders who have to take responsibility for cultural, intellectual Renaissance of human community.