The Marketplace of Ideas: A Study in Billboards

by Eliana Alcivar

You’ve heard about the marketplace of ideas.  It is often cited as a rationale for freedom of expression, and a metaphor for the sphere in which the exchange of competing ideas takes place in a society.  It draws an analogy between the struggle by competing ideas over the very minds of the masses, and the economic concept of a free market. In an economic free market, the very best goods and services emerge victorious, and supply and demand interact to determine the optimum price of goods.  In the marketplace of ideas, it is the best policies and also “The Truth” that emerge victorious–victory being measured by whether an idea is embraced by the mainstream.  A democratic society benefits from acting politically, economically, and socially to champion the best policies; meanwhile, identifying The Truth about the status quo allows it to accurately evaluate the probable outcome of competing policies.

In America, our democracy and historical dedication to the ideal of free speech have long made for a rather lively idea marketplace, but arguably, never has it been more active or full of ideas than it is today. The advent of computers and cell phones and the saturation of television and (to a lesser extent) radio in our daily lives have increased the number of ideas we are exposed to on a daily basis and the frequency with which we are presented with challenges to what we believe.  The word “barrage” comes to mind.

The idealist envisions that the marketplace of ideas operates on the currency of validity: the outcome depending on the integrity of the ideas themselves.  But is this how it works in practice?  Probably not; the power, money, and charisma possessed by those putting forward ideas have always had a practical impact on whether or not an idea emerges victorious.  So, in practice, the marketplace of ideas operates at least in part on the currency of–well, currency.  But never have I seen so literal an interpretation of the “marketplace” than lately, when I’ve been out driving in my car. I see ideas everywhere–posted in letters ten feet high.  On billboards.  You know, those spaces traditionally reserved for advertising goods and services?  In this economic downturn, it seems that billboard advertisers have suffered collateral losses as businesses have had less money to spend on advertising.  Some of those surfaces that would otherwise be left blank are being snatched up by proponents of one thought or another and used to sell their ideas, or used by the billboard companies themselves to put up self-serving messages encouraging people to believe we can get past this mess (and start buying up billboard space again, already!).

I’ve been seeing some around town featuring inspirational stories highlighting a desirable human value such as courage, and directing readers to “Pass it On.”  I asked Google about it and it told me that the entity behind the ads is The Foundation for a Better Life.  Its website reveals that it is a privately funded organization that “creates public service campaigns to communicate the values that make a difference in our communities–values such as honesty, caring, optimism, hard work, and helping others.”   Though I remain skeptical, I could not find any concrete evidence pointing to any ulterior motives.  The organization claims not to be affiliated with any religion or member-oriented organization.

That’s not the case with another variety of message Billboards I’ve been noticing; these have to do with religion. There’s this one, for example:

Elsewhere, The Freedom from Religion Foundation has been sponsoring giant advertisements around the country bearing messages such as “Imagine No Religion” and “Praise Darwin: Evolve Beyond Belief.”

Not surprisingly, some of these message billboards have been met by controversy.

Witness the heated exchange that erupted in the comments section of a popular Christian website, recently reporting on the FFRF billboards.

And the debate that sprung up in the comments section of a Greensboro, NC newspaper website, reporting on a new billboard advocating gay marriage.

This is a good time to observe that, whatever you think about the impact of these message billboards at the vehicle level, it’s interesting to notice how they appear also to add value to the real–that is, the metaphorical, not the literal–marketplace of ideas. The ads foster curiosity and controversy.  People get to talking about the billboards, and very soon they find themselves talking not only about the idea of them, but also about the ideas on them.  Especially where the topic is one critical to the lives of people, but that people tend to avoid because they feel bullied into silence by the majority or by an intimidating minority, the opportunities for discourse opened up by the billboards may be of a great value to our society.

What funny/controversial/interesting “message billboards” have you run across?