We the Media

Throughout the readings of  "We The Media" one theme that is always present is the evolution of media technology. We happen to be living in a time in which technology is growing and changing faster then we could imagine. The next phase of every cool piece of technology we use today has already been invented in a lab and is just waiting to be exposed to us. The readings talk about the same thing.

We as people need to be constantly updated these days. We can no longer wait with the patience to get our news and information like the generations before us. In 2008 we expect everything to be as close to real time as possible. Between the inventions of YouTube and other Web 2.0 inventions, news should be current and at our finger tips.

My favorite example of the new generation of media is all of the real time/up-to-date broadcast media you can find online. Usually, by lunch time, news web sites will have videos and pictures put up online from events of that day. This really makes me feel like I am not missing out on anything important and always know what is going on. Fox News does this with their web-site.

We The Media reading

The main thing I got from the reading is how much technology has changed and grown. It has gotten to the point where if you are not up t date on the latest news, not only do you feel out of touch, but you may also get riduculed by your peers. Before computers and internet, and even before the telephone, when the newspaper was the only form of getting the news, it would be days or weeks before people knew what was really going on. Now with the invention of all this new technology, it is invading our lives on an hourly basis.

In some sense this is a great breakthrough. Having up to the minute reporting and knowing the breaking news the second it happens, however, it can also be a negative. There are some moments when I just want to sit back and relax and not know about all the problems that are going on in the world. It is insane how quickly people find out about these things. Even if you try and relax and not watch the news, it takes about an hour or less to find out what is going on just because of word of mouth.

The fasinating part of this reading however was about all the new technology and how much it has changed. The personal news, like blogging, that has advanced so much just in the past 7 years. It is absolutly amazing what people are able to do now a days. 10 years ago, it was just reporters that could get their voice out and be heard. Now, any normal guy or girl with internet access can go on a blog site and post their thoughts about a certain issue. This advaance has made the news relay ovvur so much faster and it is just fascinationg to see the progress.

We the Media Ch. 3

 With technology becoming more and more advanced, it comes with no surprise that the media's ways of gathering and spreading information has changed.  Photography, video, blogs, instant messaging, blogging, and many more are making news get from one person to another even faster.  Because technology is growing, this also means that it is easier for the media to barge into our lives and leak our secrets.  


The biggest issue with the speed and prevalence of new technology is the issue of privacy.  The new communication tools that are available give anyone a chance to learn far more about a person/organization that we may have ever deemed acceptable.  Technology has made the news and journalism in general much better but has it done bad things for our reputations?


How far must the media really go to get a good story?  Will journalists want to work in an environment where they will constantly have to spy on others first as to make sure that someone else is not invading them? 


The use of new technologies is also affecting how the presidential candidates are able to introduce themselves and what type of information can be made readily available to anyone on the Net.  The fact the technology is a factor in which people base their decisions for the election may or may not be a good thing.  All that we can really conclude is that there is an abundance of information available on the Net, on TV, in newspapers, and other forms of media.  It is up to the candidates to decide which will be the most effective. 


As the world continues to move forward, we can only hope that the new technological advances will cause more good than harm for the media and its users. 

Transformation of journalism with technology

“We the Media,” Dan Gilmor discusses the role of newsmakers, not just journalists, and how the role and rules of making news have transformed entirely. With new media, including but not limited to blogs, vlogs and other online forums we have accelerated the now 24-hour industry and changed our documentation of history.   

Gilmor notes how our perception and memory of the events of 9/11 would be different if we camera phones were around then.  Our memories would be different if we had received images and videos from our loved ones via cell phone.  

Technology changes everything.  We see how popular blogs have become, giving everyone a chance to voice their opinion in these public forums.   

But can we trust what we read?  There is not a fine line between citizen journalists and the major ones.  Anything and everything is online, and there really isn’t anyone filtering. 

This is especially an issue with politics and the upcoming election.  Should you believe what you read online?

There has been quite an advantage for political involvement though.  The Internet allows everyone to be involved and their opinion matters.  We see campaign blogs, receive text messages with news and are constantly informed on what is going on and the opinions of everyone else.  

Technology has in fact made all things transparent, especially in politics.  Sarah Palin’s personal email account was recently hacked into revealing personal and government related emails sent out.  Privacy no longer exists within the World Wide Web, anything can be seen by anyone, and once it’s out there, there is no taking it back

Our world has transformed, technology continues to evolve, so will the journalism industry.  

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Calling the Kettle Black

In We the Media Gillmor does a good job of demonstrating that he has embraced new technology and used it to enhance his work as a journalist. I find, however, that a lot of the topics in the book fail to strike me as significant. I’m in my early 20s; I grew up with the internet. I started taking computer courses in elementary school and now I receive invites to Facebook groups such as “One million strong for Barack Obama.” The fact that a presidential candidate would use the internet as a major tool in his campaign isn’t new information to me.


Gillmor champions grassroots journalism and the technology that makes it possible, however, he also takes a drastically different stance at times, diminishes the importance of certain of  expressions, even declaring them potentially harmful. In chapter 3 he includes an entry he made on a media watchdog sight. Speaking of watchdog websites, or “Truth Squads,” he says, “if the idea is to make journalism better, I’m just not convinced this will work” (63). At another point, in chapter 5, while discussing Howard Dean’s campaign for presidency and the comments posted by ordinary people Gillmor says, “it’s one thing to be told of a mistake, but another to be harangued by followers of a cause, however well-meaning, who end up harming their own movement” (98).


He is quick to point out the problems associated with the media and point out shortcomings yet he doesn’t seem receptive to criticism he has received from concerned non-professionals. Obviously, some of the problems which pervade broadcast media, such as bias or fanaticism, also afflict many grassroots movements. The people in power who influence what the media produces have an agenda, just like any individuals leading a grassroots movement. If Gillmor really believes in grassroots journalism, and hearing the true voice of the people, he shouldn’t be so quick to discount tactics that he judges as inept.  

Chapters 3 & 5

We are currently living in an era where consumers are producers of their own blogs, videos, and news. The emergence of the Internet has allowed each and every one of us to comment on and provide feedback to almost anything in the world through blog posts or vlogs, which are becoming more popular with the inception of YouTube. People can post blogs about matters that concern them, and update their content several times a day (example: Arianna Huffington, huffingtonpost.com). Others can post blogs about things that interest them and their small group of loyal readers, such as blogs about celebrity gossip (Perezhilton.com). Still, others just write blogs for the sake of writing them, and only choose to have them read by a select few people. The point is that the Internet has been used as a tool for freedom of speech in the U.S. and we are not only using it to comment on politics, celebrities, world affairs, businesses, environment, economy etc., but we are using it as a tool for fact-checking and accuracy. The most interesting thing I read in Chapters 3 and 5 was how the Internet has affected the craft of journalism. In my opinion, journalists are being held to a higher standard of ethical behavior, especially since ordinary citizens can fact-check and find inconsistencies in reporters' published stories whenever they want. For reporters, this may sometimes be a nuisance, to have everybody and anybody willing and able to comment on stories. However, opening up the dialogue between citizens, media and government is essential in this day and age. This also causes editors to be more vigilant of reporters. In my opinion, they have to be vigilant otherwise they run the risk of an average Joe finding inconsistencies or erroneous facts in reporter’s stories, and thus ruining the reputation of their respective publications. Journalists aren’t the only ones who have to worry about being criticized by the public. Politicians are in the public eye 24/7 now (especially during this election).  Since each of us have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips through the Internet, it is easy to find hypocritical statements in politicians speeches because we can compare them with past public speeches. For example, when Hillary Clinton recalled last year that she had to “duck under sniper fire” during her life-threatening trip to Bosnia in 1992, reporters soon found that her statements were completely untrue. In fact, they played clips of her speech and the actual footage from Bosnia back to back in an ABC newscast that proved that she landed safely, never once was in danger, and was even having a good time singing songs with some of the soldiers. This had to be a major embarrassment for her and her campaign, especially since that clip is on YouTube for everyone to see again and again and again. Open source politics is even more prevalent today, too. Gillmor was right in saying that “net savvy campaigning will be the rule by 2008.” One can easily see this is true by looking at the web sites of both presidential candidates. They have tons of information about issues, voting, vice presidents, and they also have an area for donating money online. One can also view every speech they’ve made in their entire campaign in video. Obama has even gone a step further, by sending personal e-mails (well, at least they seem personal when they have your name at the top), to supporters about issues and upcoming events. It is evident that we are living in a world where voyeurism and being connected 24/7 is the norm, and we can either adjust or fall into the abyss.
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We the Media Ch. 3 and 5

Dan Gillmor’s We the Media offers interesting perspectives on the way technology is shaping the way both professional journalists and amateurs get information out. He talks about the ways information can be spread across the world at a very rapid pace. This can help citizens from being caught into a cycle where big business and big government can hold them down.
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Links to politicians websites

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In the book We the Media chapter three addresses the issue of how immensely web technology has transitioned our communication. A shock came to many newsmakers that with new forms of online connections, communications have aspired between humans and “Information is an ocean, and newsmakers can no longer control the tide as easily as they once did.” (45) With this new rules evolved. Primarily any citizen can venture into others lives and give a voice about it. Also information flows rapidly, and not necessarily be truthful. In the following pages the chapter explores many cases in which communication technology has altered the way we live, especially in the business sense, as well as how we consume information. Moreover, weblogs, SMS, and e-mail all perform the function of a forum. Here an exchange of ideas occurs, allowing communication to fly.
In chapter five, “The Consent of the Governed” the book delves into how the web has altered how politicians mange their campaigns. They had factor into creating a name for themselves on the internet, as well as using it to their advantage, realizing that the internet was a progressive way into people’s homes and heads. The book states that Arnold Schwarzeneggar’s recall campaign began online, it even says that Ross Perot suggested in his 1992 run for presidency that there should be “electronic townhalls. In addition, since bolgs allows anyone to be a journalist, information true of false could be posted and in fact create a rise. “Big Media, and the candidates, also started to realize that some of the best political journalism was coming from outside their ranks.” (103) Overall it seems that the internet has blown up in people’s faces and with many not knowing how to handle it.

Niche Journalism ("We the Media 3 & 5)

In "We the Media," Dan Gillmor wrote, "The issues of our times are too complex, too nuanced, for the major media to cover properly, given the economic realities of modern corporate journalism" (103).
With 40 pages of reading behind me, that was the line that jumped out at me.
Because it's so true.
We are living in a time when bloggers are exposing politicians, big businesses and even regular individuals for wrongdoings or unethical behavior. They are even analyzing Big Media for mistakes and bias.
Bloggers are of course only one aspect of the idea of personal journalism, but they are a big chunk of it.
The reason Gillmor's above statement had such an impact on me is that I often feel lost when reading breaking stories. For instance, the current issues with the economy and the (as of right now) denial of a $700 billion bailout make sense to me in a general regard, but I don't really understand the entire issue because there isn't room in a news story or a brief broadcast for all the nuances and background information that provide necessary context.
While keeping up with the news is important, especially since I want to be a journalist, it can be extremely difficult because when I don't understand a major issue, I sometimes tune out instead of researching information.
As a result, the topic-specific blogs that are emerging, what Gillmor calls niche journalism, are fantastic. While I certainly need to spend time finding these blogs and seeing which ones are reliable, the concept in and of itself is an improvement on traditional journalism. Particularly during an election year in the country and in the state, it is important to feel competent in a number of issues in order to have a reliable base on which to base your vote on.
Niche journalism can help create a more informed public. The major problem that I see, however, is that the public has to want to be informed, want to search for that information, if the concept is going to effective.
Otherwise, it's just more words and information added to a world already suffering from sensory/information overload.

We the Media. Chapters 1 & 2

          Related site... Pandora Radio

     The first couple of chapters in Dan Gillmor's We The Media discuss the evolving world of journalism and more specifically online journalism. He dates back to the time of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, praising them for their involvement and efforts with the media. Throughout the rest of the chapter, Gillmor goes on to explain the different stages of internet usage and journalism. Between Usenet at Michigan and the first platform of Desktop Publishing, we can see that the growth in technology has lead to a massive expansion in the field of journalism. Being a journalist is all about getting the best story before anyone else does. So with the aid of the internet, journalist could be recieveing their news at lighting speeds compared to the old school method.
     It was not until the unfortunate events of 9/11 that we really saw the internets potential for world wide journalism. The day that the attacks happened, there were astonishing numbers of "9/11" searches on the web. This really gave its users and creators a sense of how accesible this technology needs to be for the public. There is so much information out there that people are expecting to be able to get at the touch of a mouse that the demand is almost as high as air and water.
     The internet as we know it is now its its Web 2.0 phase. This phase has completely publicized the world wide web. It's no longer a large online brochure to be looked at, but a giant network made up of people all over the world sharing stuff with each other. Everything from pictures, to music, to favorite websites, and on and on. There is no end as to what someone in Los Angeles could be doing with someone in Moscow, Russia. The internet gives us the opportunity to live life without borders and for us to be the creator of our own worlds, online worlds. 

      The related site that I have attached above is Pandora Radio. A perfect example of p2p sharing on the internet and some of its capabilitties. It is a website designed for you to create your own radio stations based on your favorite artists. Once you have done so, Pandora then sets out to find more music similar to your favorite that you may like. It does this based on beats, tempo, guitar rhythms, melodic singers, heavy bass, etc. By other people choosing music and sharing music online, it grabs ideas from those users and and spits them at you to see if you like it. If so, you give the song a thumbs up and Pandora remembers that, if not, you give it a thumbs down, and Pandora will still remember that.