NYU professor Jay Rosen sent out a series of thought-provoking tweets this morning. He was presenting a talk at the Media 140 Conference in Barcelona.
Check out the list of eight ideas. They’re succinct points about the future of journalism – and the innovation of it.
I want to expound on one in particular:
7. Journalists: Instead of crying about Google stealing your news, steal from Google. Start “organizing the world’s information.” #media140
That’s an important point – the need for journalists to start “organizing the world’s information.” The Internet remains a blizzard of facts, non-facts, opinions, commentary, history, et. al. In order to effectively integrate the fundamental tenets of journalism into the Internet, some semblance of organization will surely be needed.
Rather than shy away from the limitless opportunities the Internet affords modern journalists, we should embrace them. These opportunities are not going away. In fact, the longer we ignore them, the more likely they’ll be thrust into the hands of the power-hungry, the profiteering and the brainless. (Just look at the majority of comments on most any news story. The drivel that many people feel free to spout will only continue.)
Organize! It’s the mantra of the working class. And it’s now the mantra of a new class of journalists. (Let’s hope so.)
Sandy 