I liked Lisa Stone’s analogies on big media and little media dueling it out for attention as the mainstream press and the participatory journalists as Daddy and Mommy.
Lisa writes:
“Here’s what I mean when I say that I feel feel as though mommy and daddy are fighting. What I have learned is that Daddy (or big media) is predisposed to value hierarchy and status, or elitism in the negative sense, whereas Mommy (or self-published media) is predisposed to value meritocracy or elitism in the positive sense. Daddy’s in trouble because being a member of the club has, over time, become more important than being the top expert at his job–indeed has changed his job. As a result, Daddy’s product is no longer always the best– the most elite by definition (b). Mommy’s given him some competition because, thanks to her search tool, she’s a smart shopper and can find the best, most detailed expert information on any topic because she can look world-wide, rather than being limited by the club…It’s essential for bloggers to keep the reader in mind too and to avoid clubby elitism.”
Lisa’s points–clever as they are–remind me that all writintg is ultimately about voice, accuracy and perspective–and that self-publishing tools make it easier and easier for the long tail of participatory journalism to compete for attention–especially as search tools drive the most-linked to posts to the fore.
I liked Lisa Stone’s analogies on big media and little media dueling it out for attention as the mainstream press and the participatory journalists as Daddy and Mommy.
Lisa writes:
“Here’s what I mean when I say that I feel feel as though mommy and daddy are fighting. What I have learned is that Daddy (or big media) is predisposed to value hierarchy and status, or elitism in the negative sense, whereas Mommy (or self-published media) is predisposed to value meritocracy or elitism in the positive sense. Daddy’s in trouble because being a member of the club has, over time, become more important than being the top expert at his job–indeed has changed his job. As a result, Daddy’s product is no longer always the best– the most elite by definition (b). Mommy’s given him some competition because, thanks to her search tool, she’s a smart shopper and can find the best, most detailed expert information on any topic because she can look world-wide, rather than being limited by the club…It’s essential for bloggers to keep the reader in mind too and to avoid clubby elitism.”
Lisa’s points–clever as they are–remind me that all writintg is ultimately about voice, accuracy and perspective–and that self-publishing tools make it easier and easier for the long tail of participatory journalism to compete for attention–especially as search tools drive the most-linked to posts to the fore.