In my last post, I question how the elite media were unable to "see" the rise of blogs. Per Professor Whalen's suggestion, I looked at Shirky's description of ancient scribes (pp. 66-70) to find a historical parallel... or parallels!
Shirky writes that in the past, a scribe's "function was indispensable, and his skills were irreplaceable" until the printing press provided a "sudden and massive reduction in the difficulty of reproducing a written work." He later compares this to the "indispensable" function of publishing... at least until the development of the blog, which now allows "anyone in the developed world" to publish "anything, anytime, and the instant it's published, it is globally available and readily findable."
Similarly, scribes and journalists/publishers have both exhibited how "professional self-conception and self-defense, so valuable in ordinary times, become a disadvantage in revolutionary ones, because professionals are always concerned with threats to the profession... but in some cases the change that threatens the profession benefits society."
As one HuffPo blogger Jillian York puts it: "Instead of being a newfangled alternative to the news, blogs have become the news." both
OK. So, as we've discussed, blogs make journalism "easy" for the masses just as the printing press made writing "easy" for the scribes, but both groups were not ready to accept these new anxiety-provoking changes, a reaction that is not so unlikely. When faced with the decision to attack or merge (and potentially lose power), it might be easier to attack.
On this note... the most hilarious similarity between these groups? Using the new technology to defend old technology! Just as scribes used the printing press to create a wide-spread document in support of their work, journalists are increasingly turning to blogs despite a somewhat unceasing "snarky" attitude towards them.
Jillian York continues to explain how while the MSM is grudgingly accepting this medium, as "global publications are looking toward foreign journalists to provide perspective... by blogging," the attitude isn't completely inclusionary. This is evidenced by a post from Jay Rosen, another HuffPost blogger who reports how Ben Smith of the Politico (gleefully/) described how bloggers painfully crave acceptance from the mainstream media. The seeming struggle between the incorporation of this platform and attacking the platform (through the platform, nonetheless) seems endless. Finally, the MSM has yet to address the major question of citations of blogs.
On a different technology-note, what will be incredibly interesting in the coming years is the advancement of technology under President Obama. One Huffington Post blogger, Peter M. Shane, writes an interesting response to Obama's vision. He says,
The Obama platform is something of a "Top Ten" list when it comes to proposals for federal leadership in revitalizing democracy through technology. He would "make government data available online in univerally accessible formats to allow citizens to make use of that data... He would establish pilot programs to open up government decision making to meaningful public input. He would require heads executive departments and agencies to conduct significant public business in public and in venues that can be watched online.
Obama promises to employ current information technology to permit citizens to participate in public meetings from a distance. He promises "a web site, a search engine, and other web tools that enable citizens easily to track online federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and lobbyist contacts with government officials." He would solicit public comment on the final drafts of all non-emergency legislation before he signs it into law.
The kicker?
He would improve government decision-making through Web 2.0 tools, such as blogs and wikis.
Sounds good to me (especially after feeling like there were a lot of unanswered questions in the Bush years)! Wonder if this will actually happen... especially in light of Obama's much publicized
Blackberry surrender.
In summary: we've really discussed a wide range of topics this semester, and the biggest questions I have are those regarding the future of interactive media. My current predictions include:
1. a couple more years of uncomfortable shifting by the MSM (notably the newspapers) before journalists, bloggers, and citizens come to an equilibrium.
2. the rise of right-of-center bloggers looking to critique Obama
3. a potential race for technology by Republicans (this just as easily could not happen)
4. wondering about the "new forms" of blogging (and the new challenges to elite media) - podcasts on television??
4. a society in which US citizens have more information about government than ever before.
It will be very interesting to see what the future holds, but I am happy to have had a good foundation of the past from this class. It was great sharing it with all of you.
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