A New Assignment, Oh... My... God
Jay Rosen has developed an exciting new idea that the new media glitterati (doc, winer, jarvis, steve, craig) are all buzzing about. It's a totally fresh concept. I love it. What's even more awesome? Jay is using the community to iron out the kinks before he launches the effort. Smart.
My concerns (which I left in a comment on Buzz Machine):
I’m with Brett on cutting as many middlemen out as possible. Can the community be the editors? Can we develop some kind of efficient process for that?
I also question Jay’s point about having “professional” journalists do the reporting. I’d personally like to see a mix of reporters, both “professionals” and “amateurs”. My guess is that the community will either respond to the person, or not. It has little to do with their title or background. If they trust the person, and that person is smart and engaging…that’ll be what counts. Let’s not just leave this to the “professionals”. If we do that, we’re missing the whole point.
My concerns (which I left in a comment on Buzz Machine):
I’m with Brett on cutting as many middlemen out as possible. Can the community be the editors? Can we develop some kind of efficient process for that?
I also question Jay’s point about having “professional” journalists do the reporting. I’d personally like to see a mix of reporters, both “professionals” and “amateurs”. My guess is that the community will either respond to the person, or not. It has little to do with their title or background. If they trust the person, and that person is smart and engaging…that’ll be what counts. Let’s not just leave this to the “professionals”. If we do that, we’re missing the whole point.
posted by Amanda @ 11:01 AM
14 Comments:
At 11:41 AM,
Teresa said…
I will be graduating from journalism school in a few weeks.
I'm almost done with my thesis!!!
I've heard that some 'professional' journalists are scared but I don't think we should be.
I've been applying for jobs in
old media type of journo jobs such as local news stations and newspapers but it is ridiculously
competitive.
I think the internet gives everyone
a chance to do what that love and to me that is reporting.
I trust people and I know they follow people with good reporting and writing skills.
At 2:01 PM,
Jay Rosen said…
Hi, Amanda. Thanks for the link and your enthusiasm. I thought I would clarify one thing. What I mean by "professionals complete the reporting" has nothing to do with credentials, or resume. It refers to paying people to work full-time on the story. That could be anyone who can do the job-- a smart blogger included. I think you are right: the smart mobs that collect around a story will either respond to the person or not.
At 2:29 PM,
BionicBuddha said…
It was going to happen someday - great job with it. Open source the news stories and see what the networks want! Could be alot of money in this...
http://www.bionicbuddha.com
At 2:38 PM,
Amanda said…
Jay! Wow. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for the clarification. It's a very forward thinking idea. A totally NEW idea. And I think it will work.
At 3:40 PM,
ScottyGee said…
Sounds like a very cool idea and it will be nice watching it come to fruition.
If you ever need a story about maniacal NASCAR fans and their love of beef jerky and Sundrop, I totally have you covered here in North Carolina!
At 3:44 PM,
Bryan said…
:) What a good Idea. Is it journalisim about anything?
Or just the top stories?
:D
At 5:13 PM,
kgpatia said…
Hi Amanda-
You don't know me, but I'm a fellow Northwesterner...well, as of recently. I was at Boston University before.
But to the point! I'm just getting started in the blogging world, but this sounds like a really great and innovative idea. I mean, I would definately want to participate.
Your blog is really interesting. Keep up the posts and good luck with all that has been going on in your life lately.
At 8:23 PM,
Charlie Martin said…
Ravo, there are a lot of people talking about that over at jay's blog.
The thing I wonder about is where the value-add is. What do the people getting the assignment do for the money, once the blogswarm has converged on it.
Still, you can't tell if a new idea will work unless it's tried.
At 8:26 PM,
Poetslife said…
I agree...but there should be more amateurs and fewer professional journalists. Rocketboom...when Amanda was there...was fresh, creative, interesting, quirky, irreverant, edgy, entertaining, and educational. Why? Because an amateur...a bright amateur, was creating the magic.
Professional journalists I've known, and I was interviwed about why poetry was the 7th most commonly searched word by a USA Today journalist, are boring, full of themselves, don't listen, ask bizarre questions, and don't understand that they are not the story.
Another interviewed me on a radio station and when I said I was going to read a poem called, "Everybody Should Have an Aunt Pat" and explained that I wrote it for her funeral, he said, "Did she like it when she heard it."
So, there is great talent out there and the wonder of the Web is that it gets to see the light of day...as with Rocketboom when it was in it's Golden Age when Amanda was there. The new girl just doesn't have it...but she's probably a "professional." Point made.
At 1:24 AM,
Michael S. Troop said…
Today’s market demands a mix of professionals and amateurs in order to generate new sticky traffic. You must ask yourself "what am I providing that my customers that they cannot get else where"? The PROAM mix is it!
This lesson I learned last year.....
Michael
At 10:19 AM,
James said…
Another factor to consider is the "nosy neighbor" problem. Most online journalists don't have Amanda's access to billionaire philanthropists. The average vlogger will mostly have to air opinion pieces or on-the-street interviews and investigative pieces.
I wonder about the spread of rumor and gossip about average people. Hopefully trust, decency, and common sense will prevail upon internet age journalists, but we'll see.
The impact on average people could be astounding. Before all you had to worry about was someone who might, as Carl Perkins used to sing, "slander my name all over the place." With the rise of pro-am journalism, will we have to worry about online defamation? Even with your name removed, what could you do to protect your privacy and reputation? A person need not be a celebrity to be concerned about their public image. Every dentist, drycleaner, and barber has a stake in their personal and professional reputation.
Something to think about.
http://wantarevolution.blogspot.com/
At 11:59 AM,
Teresa said…
Lucana man,
I agree with what you are saying.
The great thing about the internet is also its downfall.... no accountability.
Part of good reporting is having someone to be accountable to.
At 10:00 AM,
Unknown said…
Hi Amanda
This is an amazing idea. With you participating I am sure it will succeedd. Now that Tina Fey has left SNL I think you are the perfect replacement. Your style of humor is perfect for the weekend update segment. Just my three cents. You should send an audition tape.
best
Mike
At 7:20 PM,
Amanda said…
Teresa and Lucana man -- I hear you. It's all in the execution. If Jay listens to the community and sets up a system that can make his vision a reality, it will work. The constant feedback and tweaking of the system from the community will make this idea float or sink. Maybe I'm a bit idealistic but I think it will work. I believe in Jay and I believe in the community.
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