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Jan

24

More on media’s urge to merge from Fortune’s sr. editor


Great column by David Kirkpatrick, “Old media meets empowered customers,” that coincidentally just appeared in my inbox.  The springboard for the point made by the title is Kirkpatrick’s observations about the Digital Life Design conference in Munich that just ended.

I recommend the entire column, but here’s the part that most resonates for me:

Most media companies still think it’s all about the content, but taking a software-driven approach makes it easier to find unique and creative ways to develop a synthesis between professional and non-professional content, and to monetize both, usually with advertising.

Blogger and old-media refugee Jeff Jarvis, on a great panel called “Exploding Media,” said “Media companies should stop complaining and ask themselves ‘What would Google do?’” He said today’s mandate is to help people distribute both their own creations and what they receive from professional media in their own way.

As if to illustrate, Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) executive Marissa Mayer showed how Google’s Maps and Earth software are both being augmented by contributions from users. For example, ordinary straphangers have built the best map of the Santiago, Chile subway system.

All wasn’t lovey-dovey there, though:

[Mahalo.com creator Jason] Calacanis criticizes the vapidity, profanity and offhandedness of much user-contributed content online, including what often passes for feedback to professionally-written blogs and articles. “Now it’s the wisdom of crowds versus the expertise of individuals,” he says, “and the wisdom of crowds has maxed out.”

Regardless, many of us have been saying for years now that it’s the audience, stupid.  It is fascinating to experience just how long it’s taking certain segments, often those that need to get the message the soonest unless they want to die off, to get the message.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:22 am January 24th, 2008 in Blogging, Business, Media, Tech 

Comments

2 Responses to “More on media’s urge to merge from Fortune’s sr. editor”

  1. 1 Jason on January 25th, 2008 1:22 pm

    I’m quoted a little out of context in the story.

    For a little extra context, what I said was that top-down editorial was far too prevalent 10 years ago, and that today the wisdom of the crowds is far too prevalent. What I’m seeking is a balance between the truly gifted editors out there and the exceptional contributions of the audience members–not one or the other.

    Balance is the key, not one or the other.

  2. 2 Jill Miller Zimon on January 25th, 2008 2:19 pm

    Thanks, Jason – I appreciate the clarificaiton and agree that neither side should be allowed to overrun an effort.

    Here in NEOhio, we’ve had two kind of colossal failures in trying to marry well-known, well-respected bloggers who also admit to being partisan with two large metro papers that got the willies when politicians raised the concern about the former being paid by the latter. Then “the jig was up.”

    IMO: the papers are being WAY too skittish only because they don’t know and aren’t trying to say, tough luck – we stand by these folks. I’d like to see them do some risk-taking.

    I know there are some examples of papers doing risk-taking but most of the time it’s still within the traditional range.

    Anyway – I apologize – I’m in enormous physical pain with a backache of all things so I have to stop here but I do really appreciate your input.

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