The disruptive tectonic forces at the intersection of technology and media

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RE: The disruptive tectonic forces at the intersection of technology and media

This is in part a comment on jkremer's post above and in part a comment on the story itself:
Firstly I reject the simplistic notion that the old media were "sober, responsible journalism" while the new media are worthless. They both had/have their good sides and bad. The "old media" were respected and trusted to a greater degree, but that may have been in large part because they controlled the dissemination of the news and therefore incompetence and "corruption" within the media were rarely exposed. These days the truth and the facts are very difficult to hide for any extended period of time, therefore the consuming public has became justifiably cynical, both about the news items themselves and the reporting media. When you run a 24/7 news service, if there is no news you have to create some, otherwise you might as well shut down and go home. News media are profit oriented entereprises and therefore will resort to marketing and sensationalism to capture the eye balls. Just look at all the misleading headlines on ZDNet as an example.

The article was interesting but somewhat limited in scope. First the news media:

Yes, there need to be a revolution. When many news events attract more reporters than participants, the news gathering and dissemination is just not efficient. A rationalization is necessary. All those reporters and and their organizations just cannot continue to make a living/profits.

Entertainment media: The RIAA/MPAA and their member entities try desperately to maintain control and pricing levels while the distribution costs have largely disappeared and peoples expectations have changed. The debate about cost/ownership/control of information and entertainment/culture is legitimate. While creators may deserve to get paid, the old business models are too inefficient and not sustainable. In addition, intellectual property rights exist because society has chosen to grant them. In a democracy, if they seem unreasonable/ unsupportable and not benefiting society in their current form, they will eventually change. If the internet turns into a slot machine where you have to insert a coin every time you need some news/information/entertainment, society will be considerably worse off in my opinion.

In order to make money you have to provide something of value to the consumer. Quality news reporting and intelligent discussion by knowledgeable individuals provide value to me and I am willing to pay for it. Quality music and entertainment has value, but not a buck for a digital track or $15 for a streaming movie. Give the digital tracks away from web sites supported by advertising and then sell quality "hard copies" including lyrics, photos, information about the performers etc. by mail order for a fair price. There is no real joy in having a copy of a digital file. There is joy in owning a beautiful box set of quality CDs by your favorite artists. The "hard copies have enduring value and provide ownership enjoyment. Digital files you just watch/listen too.

The flip side of the profit oriented media is the "collective media". Wikipedia is a magnificent example of what can be created when people work together towards a common good without $ signs in their eyes. Craigslist is another, albeit somewhat different example where profit does not seem to be the primary motive. Open source SW is in a sense of a similar mold, as are all the free, online (non credit) courses offered by many post secondary institutions.

It at times strikes me that our modern society has turned Maslow's pyramid upside down, and we do not seem all that happy and healthy as a result. The technology and media issues may be just a subset of the larger issue of how make this world a better place. It is certainly interesting to watch this drama unfold.

Posted by: Economister   Posted on: 05/03/09 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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