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Norgdom
Perth MusicThe New York Times thinks Cit Js are interesting cause they’re cheap…
The New York Times is going to post user- generated content, Guess why? It’s cheaper than paying journalists.
Speaking in a panel discussion at the SIIA Information Industry Summit in New York City, Times executive Nicholas Ascheim said that developing video content is costly.
“The most expensive thing is the journalists themselves. That’s why user-generated content is interesting,” said Mr. Ascheim, director of entertainment for video and audio at New York Times Digital.
I can think of a thousand better reasons why user-generated content is ‘interesting’ and the cost is the last of them.
Just when you think that mainstream media is beginning to see the light, it goes and blows it.
Maybe it should stick to reporting the facts and leave the innovation up to us.
User-generated content is interesting because it gives everyone the opportunity to engage in the news that affects them. It is about everyone contributing to a story with their own voice, it’s about passion and experience, creativity and community. It’s about finding the stories beyond the ink-stained paper we throw away everyday, forgotten tomorrow. It’s about your views, your news.
The fiery passionate writings of a true football fan, would always win for me over the daily-filed copy of a journalist who writes for a living – it’s just their job isn’t it?
And yes, when it comes to citizen journalism I suppose I fall into the enthusiast category. ☺ But I don’t think my passion is misguided. Everyday I see another reason why it’s so important.
Today, it was the real conversation on PerthNorg about daylight saving, away from the orchestration of media ratings. It was fiery, it was funny and most of all it was real. But that’s just my opinion, you might have another one – beauty is you can tell me about it.
Hope you do, and see you round the norg …
February 1st, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Hi Bronwen,
Unfortunately, mainstream media is not seeing the light, it is seeing the bottom line. In Australia, print media, televison networks and radio networks ask for user contributions all the time, often for no return or even acknowledgement of the contribution. If you have a quick scan of the breakfast news shows, they actively ask viewers to send in news photo’s, stories, etc but once the material is forwarded, the network retains all copyright and control over the material. Similarly, MSM newspaper websites often solicit users to send in their original material, which then becomes enshrined in their copyright web. And don’t get me started about TV shows such as Australia’s Funniest Home Video’s - the ultimate in user-generated TV content. At least they offer a prize!
The bottom line is, MSM wants to own and control the news. It is a money-grabbing, power-hungry beast that has now moved on to user-generated content as it’s new fodder. It is up to the consumers of new media to limit the supply to the food chain…