We all know that new technologies are changing the way media is made. This flattening of the earth, as some would call it, has great potential. But aside from rampant blogging and personalized web-sites, how will the public’s new found power change the way mainstream media generates content? I work with Minnesota Public Radio and we’ve been thinking a lot about this. Our approach is something called Public Insight Journalism. It’s a way for journalists to connect with amateur experts, enthusiasts or people with relevant experiences to help them create a story. Some media outlets take a much more hands-off approach, while others have been moving toward more accountability and transparency in their news making. What do you think the future will be?
How to Get the ‘Me’ in Media
Jun 29 2006 — 2:00am
5 Reader Comments
1:06 am
This post kind of pimps MPR, but oh well.
I have a project for Public Insight Journalism: Why was Thorn fired?
7:39 am
Yeah, why was Thorn fired? Don’t forget to name names. If you’re gonna pimp for MPR on this site, give us the inside dope.
8:13 am
Dude had a MAJOR anger management problem.
5:35 pm
I’ve talked a lot about this on this site already, so there’s no need to hear more of my diatribes. However, I’ll say this about Public Insight Journalism: I think it’s a small step in the right direction, but IMHO, it isn’t particularly radical. It’s effectively a list of email addresses that journalists use to contact people when they write stories. In other words, it’s a second-generation rolodex. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
…but “the future” isn’t a continuation of this bi-directional (broadcaster to person; person to broadcaster) form of distribution; rather, it’s a networked model (people to people). The next generation of successful media companies will be those that put people in contact with each other to create news.
11:49 pm
So, you say Thorn had anger management issues? At what or whom was he angry? Share with the class already.