Comments on: Future of Journalism http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/ my semi-regular stream of consciousness Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:22:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Why I’m Attending FOCAS 2009 « John’s Blog http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-10167 Why I’m Attending FOCAS 2009 « John’s Blog Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:50:50 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-10167 [...] As I mentioned, I’ve been in Aspen this week at The Aspen Institute’s Forum on Communications & Society (specifically titled: Of the Press: Models for Preserving American Journalism). It’s been a very interesting couple of days, and I’ve got a lot of new ideas to make sense of and synthesize. First a bit of background, then a little bit on what’s gone on here and what interesting ideas have been put forward, then I’ll try to pull it all together with some thoughts. As I’m writing this, it’s getting a little long, so I think I’ll split into 2 posts: this one about why I’m attending, and the next one about the meeting & some thoughts. [...] [...] As I mentioned, I’ve been in Aspen this week at The Aspen Institute’s Forum on Communications & Society (specifically titled: Of the Press: Models for Preserving American Journalism). It’s been a very interesting couple of days, and I’ve got a lot of new ideas to make sense of and synthesize. First a bit of background, then a little bit on what’s gone on here and what interesting ideas have been put forward, then I’ll try to pull it all together with some thoughts. As I’m writing this, it’s getting a little long, so I think I’ll split into 2 posts: this one about why I’m attending, and the next one about the meeting & some thoughts. [...]

]]> By: Alex Faaborg http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-10001 Alex Faaborg Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:20:24 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-10001 There was a great short documentary about the demise of the Rocky Mountain news. The content wasn't anything we didn't already know about the shifting landscape of media, and the serious financial trouble that most papers are in, but it gave the overall narrative a really strong emotional context. At one point someone describes that when the news desk is informed that the paper is shutting down, the reporters instinctively all took out their notepads and started writing, which is just so unbelievably dark. Unfortunately the video seems to be down on Vimeo due to a compression issue, but if it comes back up here is the link: http://www.vimeo.com/3390739 As expected the video contained a lot of arguments against citizen journalism on the Web, mostly formed around the idea that random bloggers will never be indoctrinated into the ethos of proper fact checking and ethics taught in journalism school. And the overall fear was that we are now headed toward a world free of fact and truth. Personally I think we got there before the Web and rather at the cable news era, where every claim, regardless of how ridiculous it is, is given a representative for debate. On talking head debates in favor of the sky being blue, the other talking head opposed. But no one is ever able to say "actually, the sky is blue" and then move the discussion forward. There was a great short documentary about the demise of the Rocky Mountain news. The content wasn’t anything we didn’t already know about the shifting landscape of media, and the serious financial trouble that most papers are in, but it gave the overall narrative a really strong emotional context. At one point someone describes that when the news desk is informed that the paper is shutting down, the reporters instinctively all took out their notepads and started writing, which is just so unbelievably dark.

Unfortunately the video seems to be down on Vimeo due to a compression issue, but if it comes back up here is the link: http://www.vimeo.com/3390739

As expected the video contained a lot of arguments against citizen journalism on the Web, mostly formed around the idea that random bloggers will never be indoctrinated into the ethos of proper fact checking and ethics taught in journalism school. And the overall fear was that we are now headed toward a world free of fact and truth.

Personally I think we got there before the Web and rather at the cable news era, where every claim, regardless of how ridiculous it is, is given a representative for debate. On talking head debates in favor of the sky being blue, the other talking head opposed. But no one is ever able to say “actually, the sky is blue” and then move the discussion forward.

]]> By: nicholas reville http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9990 nicholas reville Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:36:25 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9990 this vanity fair article on politico is intriguing and disconcerting, but has some essential ideas for where things are headed: http://bit.ly/qc34W this vanity fair article on politico is intriguing and disconcerting, but has some essential ideas for where things are headed: http://bit.ly/qc34W

]]> By: ChrisJF http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9989 ChrisJF Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:29:13 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9989 With regards to Journalism and Newspapers going under, I think I've repeatedly been hearing two ideas: Some would advocate it is a technology problem. (That we need micro-payments to pay for individual articles, akin to a browser-based iTunes store for news.) And others would argue the industry has failed to provide a product of value in an increasingly disposable, broad, and fast-paced environment. Please do blog during the conference. I am curious to see what other opinions, problems, or solutions emerge. With regards to Journalism and Newspapers going under, I think I’ve repeatedly been hearing two ideas:

Some would advocate it is a technology problem. (That we need micro-payments to pay for individual articles, akin to a browser-based iTunes store for news.) And others would argue the industry has failed to provide a product of value in an increasingly disposable, broad, and fast-paced environment.

Please do blog during the conference. I am curious to see what other opinions, problems, or solutions emerge.

]]> By: Dave Baggeroer http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9986 Dave Baggeroer Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:17:04 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9986 Hi John, Sounds like a neat opportunity to hear what's next in journalism. I'm not a journalist either and still have a lot to learn about the industry. But I'm worried about the state of online news, specifically how to easily separate news and opinion. We've entered what we think is an "Era of Opinion" where news sources increasingly bring a strong perspective to the news they're reporting on in an effort differentiate themselves in a very crowded market. We've written about this on our blog http://blog.fairspin.org and are currently experimenting with a crowd-sourced way to reveal the political perspective of articles, authors and sources at http://fairspin.org. More tools like this will need to emerge over the next few years to help us make sense of news online. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Aspen Conference. -Dave Baggereor (and Stephen Hood) Hi John,

Sounds like a neat opportunity to hear what’s next in journalism. I’m not a journalist either and still have a lot to learn about the industry. But I’m worried about the state of online news, specifically how to easily separate news and opinion. We’ve entered what we think is an “Era of Opinion” where news sources increasingly bring a strong perspective to the news they’re reporting on in an effort differentiate themselves in a very crowded market. We’ve written about this on our blog http://blog.fairspin.org and are currently experimenting with a crowd-sourced way to reveal the political perspective of articles, authors and sources at http://fairspin.org. More tools like this will need to emerge over the next few years to help us make sense of news online. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the Aspen Conference.

-Dave Baggereor (and Stephen Hood)

]]> By: Mike Beltzner http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9985 Mike Beltzner Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:04:45 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9985 I have found that many news media organizations have been having trouble figuring out how to scale and balance across multiple channels. Declining revenue streams combined with ever broadening information inputs as well as publication channels has meant that - perhaps more than many other industries - journalists have been trying to do to much more (keep track of the flow of information in order to stay on top of emerging news and not get "scooped", publish out information quickly to multiple channels) with less (fewer resources, less time to think and react) This has resulted in many news media simply becoming "rebroadcasters" of packaged information without the checks and balances that initially lent integrity to the fifth estate. Press releases and soundbites are passed off as news, and then endlessly analyzed without substance because deep research and analysis takes time, money and people that the news media simply doesn't have. Further, in a perverse race to be the first to talk about a story, the news media has become an echo chamber, trying to find new angles on a story that are <i>quickest</i> but not necessarily the most <i>informative</i>. I think the greatest threat to journalism is the risk of them moving lower and lower down the commodity chain. It makes their services less valuable and more easily displaced (why check nyt.com/technology when gizmodo.com is updated more frequently?) while also diluting the quality of informed analysis there is on the huge streams of information coming at today's public. I have found that many news media organizations have been having trouble figuring out how to scale and balance across multiple channels. Declining revenue streams combined with ever broadening information inputs as well as publication channels has meant that – perhaps more than many other industries – journalists have been trying to do to much more (keep track of the flow of information in order to stay on top of emerging news and not get “scooped”, publish out information quickly to multiple channels) with less (fewer resources, less time to think and react)

This has resulted in many news media simply becoming “rebroadcasters” of packaged information without the checks and balances that initially lent integrity to the fifth estate. Press releases and soundbites are passed off as news, and then endlessly analyzed without substance because deep research and analysis takes time, money and people that the news media simply doesn’t have. Further, in a perverse race to be the first to talk about a story, the news media has become an echo chamber, trying to find new angles on a story that are quickest but not necessarily the most informative.

I think the greatest threat to journalism is the risk of them moving lower and lower down the commodity chain. It makes their services less valuable and more easily displaced (why check nyt.com/technology when gizmodo.com is updated more frequently?) while also diluting the quality of informed analysis there is on the huge streams of information coming at today’s public.

]]> By: Matt Zimmerman http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9984 Matt Zimmerman Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:58:09 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9984 I blogged recently about this at http://mdzlog.alcor.net/2009/05/25/selling-relevance/ I blogged recently about this at http://mdzlog.alcor.net/2009/05/25/selling-relevance/

]]> By: Ryan Doherty http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9983 Ryan Doherty Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:57:02 +0000 http://john.jubjubs.net/2009/08/14/future-of-journalism/#comment-9983 My biggest issue/worry is how much sensationalism has become a part of mainstream media (CNN has been in a downward spiral for years). With the rise of citizen journalism and user-contributed/edited/upvoted articles, the trend only seems to be getting worse. My biggest issue/worry is how much sensationalism has become a part of mainstream media (CNN has been in a downward spiral for years).

With the rise of citizen journalism and user-contributed/edited/upvoted articles, the trend only seems to be getting worse.

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