Saturday, November 18, 2006
Posted by Andrew Warner
As we watch mainstream media outlets fumble around trying to capture the unique essence of their unlikely competition, “the Army of Davids” speckled throughout cyberspace, there is only one certainty: It’s an incredibly exciting time in the field of journalism.
Blogs, as it is now well-docuented, have transformed average citizens into exceptional citizen journalists and publications, much like our own antiquated Cincinnati Enquirer, into a dying breed limping around on their last legs. We’re now living in a world where an armchair quarterback watching a Cincinnati Bengals game for free at home can publish their opinion and pit it against the pompous, press-pass wearing newspaper staff who comfortably watch games from a heated, luxury press box overlooking the commoners at Paul Brown Stadium.
This same mentality forces every snide politician to treat every citizen with the same respect they would a Woodward or a Bernstein: If not, who knows where the politicians words will end up? If the politician doesn’t act up to snuff, a new blog will be born. That sort of dirt has the tendency to catch on.
And as the Cincinnati Beacon releases its new, sleek design, one thing is clear: Mainstream media is stuck in a game of catch-up and they plod through innovation too slowly to keep the game close.
It’s obvious with Gannett’s new transformation of the “News Room” into what they call an “Information Center,” or the desperate “Get Published” page that allows parents to put Boy Scout meetings into on-line newspapers, that the corporate giants are scrambling to stay releveant despite their age. But with corporate boards, a series of editors, a central office and a slew of other hurdles that impede needed progress, they’ll never be able to keep up with nimble minded internet entrepreneurs who are willing to do the same work, often times better, for free.
That’s why big papers are gasping their last breaths on their stiff, cold death bed. They’re still putting out news for the sole purpose of making money. The competition is doing the opposite – putting out news because information is important. Whether that be information that impacts the health and spirit of our democracy, or an opinion about the Ohio State/Michigan game; we simply don’t need to trek through all the nonsense charading as news to get the information we want.
Journalism professionals will tell you that newspapers are only available for free in their on-line forms in order to aid the reader into forming a habit, or addiction, to their sites. After they hook us, the plan is to charge for subscriptions. Let me be the first one to tell you that if this happens, the Cincinnati Beacon will become the area’s leading source of news. Mainstream media is grossly overestimating the demand for their punched-out product and our need to cover our fingertips in cheap ink.
As for me, I’ll enjoy the unique voices, writing styles, perspectives, and interfaces of the new, new journalism. If I want bland, pseudo-objective writing that lacks purpose – there’s always Gannett… At least for another few years.
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