"Mass Amateurization is a result of the radical spread of expressive capabilities." (66) With the rise of the Internet, and the simplicity it provides, everyone is capable of managing the world of media. No longer is media in the hands of professionals, rather almost anyone who knows how to use a computer is able to send out a message.
As time goes on, the masses are going to accept that they are meant to control the media. The media professionals are going to become a dying class, but still respected. Amateurs are discovering that they have greater privileges. At any time, they can publish anything they consider newsworthy, for free. They do not have to go through approvals and revisions, like professionals do.
I used to work at a small Public Relations company catering to my community in Brooklyn. For almost ten years, they have made their money by sending out e-mails to their mailing list advertising businesses. However, over the past few years, amateurs realized how easy it to do this. They promised businesses to do the same thing for a fraction of the cost. As Clay Shirky writes, "If everyone can do something, it is no longer rare enough to pay for, even if it is vital." (pg 79)
In his speech for Ted Talks, Clay Shirky mentions how BBC reported on the earthquake in China in May of 2008 after Twitter. The Twitter population outnumbers the professional journalists in the world; "the scarcity is gone." Therefore it is easier and more practical that these people take on the role as journalists surveying the environment around them.
Not all amateurs are ready to take on the roles of media professionals. Last week WikiLeaks, a whistle-blower website, published more than 92,000 U.S. military and diplomatic reports about the Afghan War. From the start, this website has been mocked, and ignored by professionals. However:
"Traditional news media may have finally taken WikiLeaks seriously, but the episode also reflected a change within the organization itself. By handing over the documents to professionals, with no strings attached, and before the site itself could offer its own interpretation, WikiLeaks was retreating to the job of information procurer rather than information explainer."
I agree that professionals are going to be on a dying class, but still respected. Even though the things like production and distribution have become easier, the differences exist between amateur and professional. I think that is the reason why Clay Shirky argues we are on a process of mass amateurization instead of mass professionalization.
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