We the Media

We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People published in 2004 by Dan Gillmor use personal experiences and the experiences of other credible journalists to trace the origin and time line of the media development especially online journalism. The author has been part of the media development as he started one of the first blogs by mainstream media journalist.

The foundational basis for the development of media is the First Amendment which supports the freedom of speech. Thomas Jefferson famously said that if given the choice of newspapers and government, he’d take the newspapers. From pamphleteers to newspapers to telegraphs to mud crackers, the book captured the very essence of the development of the media. The power inherent in the media is evident in the inflammation of public opinion which led to the Spanish-American war in 1898, brought down a law-breaking president. The interpretation of various cartoons has led to religious riots worldwide. Despite the freedom of speech, journalists are still dying elsewhere in the world for what they write and broadcast.

He drew comparison between radio, television, internet and digital technology. According to him, mass media still reach the biggest audience. One of the most significant differences between print and the web is that web-based conversations transcend geographical boundaries (pg. 113). The internet has however been able to go a step further by its use of linking which points readers to other people’s content. This in my opinion has made the internet an unequaled research tool.

It was surprising to find out that what is today called blogs is actually web logs. To Dan, weblogs have been slow to take off in the mainstream media due to the innately conservative nature of the big media and mistrust among traditional journalists and editors of the initiative which was initially seen as a threat to undermine what they consider the core values of journalism. He spells out the characteristics that make any blog worth reading as voice, focus, real reporting and good writing (pg. 114)

The new media shares media with others and takes their audience as active participants (not mere readers) whose contributions have helped to drive the industry. The audience has become an integral part of the process; welcome and unwelcome collaborators. The revolution of the internet has made it a medium for which the audience claims ownership based on the fact that it gives them a voice without querying what they know and how they know it.

Throughout the book which is written in simple English with a well-laid out and readable format, Gilmor critiques some of the attitudes of journalists e.g. leaving out contact information when the articles are posted on web, leaving the audience to interact with themselves (not being involved), not linking to competing sites etc. With personal media, a new and less expensive media was created and everyone can now make news. Though there are obviously risks in having an industry that has become border-less, the advantages outweigh the risks. What may be needed are disclaimers or gate keepers who can point out the shortfalls and insist on an open source policy.

The establishment of blogs has created a working relationship between the journalists within and those without; the professional reporters now read news worthy information or stories they otherwise might have missed. The pace of deciding to cover some from a professional stand-point is now driven by what people are writing and/or reading about. It has begun a global conversation across gender, race, religion, ethic group and orientation.

Despite what seem like a ground breaking relationship, professional and non-professional journalists still come in conflict every now and then because they now share a huge stake in the end result one higher than the other. The friction has led to creating a brand for the bloggers – citizen reporting. Citizen reporting has become a welcome audience as they cover a wide range of issues. It also has compelled traditional/professional journalists to listen to online critics as a way of increasing credibility.

Bid media companies have contributed to the development of the new media by asking readers to join the global conversation in a slightly more formal way. There has been a convergence of old and new media with the September 11, 2001 incidence serving as catalyst and the internet serving as the master key to web logs which are individualized perspectives. We have transcended the days of scrolls, desktop publishing, snail mail, traditional journalism, wire service, telephone, personal computer and arrived at emailing, short message service (sms), camera photos, mobile connected cameras, internet-broadcasting, hyper text mark-up language (html) etc. Web logs have moved from being mere diaries or journals to include audio, visual, animation and news makers now benefit from the real simple syndication that let them know news tilt across the world. News is now be shared through the new technology e.g. mobile messaging, the audience now participates actively in the news.

The book traces the history of the new media giving enough detail to give students and practitioners a broad view of what obtained and what now obtains. The challenge for the book however is the fast pace in which the new media changes. To keep up with the changes new editions with updated information could be published periodically. Notwithstanding, the book is highly recommended for students of Journalism.