We are the new medium

Today we learn about news through many media other than the old fashion ones like television, radio or newspapers. Cell phones, PDAs, computers with the help of the Internet are the most used media in this century. This is where the rise of the amateur media originated. People as a medium are the largest of all media of today. People will take pictures, record videos of scenes that the typical journalists or news reporters may not be able to do. Many breaking news are about things that happen spontaneously and most of the times people on the scenes record the facts with their phones or other portable devices before the news reporters or officials arrived at the scene. This shows how important amateur media are.

Amateur media allow news to be spread more quickly than the professional ones in many cases. People send text messages, emails to one another as the story is developing. Sometimes official news reporters are not allowed on the scenes like in many dictatorial.

As the article states it media started to change in its overall ecosystem of information. As globalization and technology continue to emerge so is our capabilities and more specifically in this sense the way we look at and get information. Nowadays the flow of information lays on the hands on anyone who owns a computer. The computer with the capabilities of the Internet has not only lowered the reliance on newspaper but it created its own new means of sharing information.

Moreover what the author is explaining is that the means of the internet has over time become the new medium for discussing and sharing information or news that didn’t or could not make it on the newspaper because it was unimportant or cost too much to print and deliver, i.e. the Lott story (61). This story which was said to be unimportant and for that matter didn’t get published on the newspaper was the blog made by liberal and conservative writers, which kept the story alive, and this came across millions of readers whom not only made remarks but editorialized as well.

An example of how amateur media help deliver some of the most important stories that goes around us is the Iran Silent March back this past June when restrictions has been made on the transparency of media. What happened in this event and its cost and effects were delivered by amateur videos and blogs.

http://ireport.cnn.com/blogs/ireport-blog/2009/06/15/on-the-ground-in-iran.

Overall I feel that the future of media professionals lies on the hands of amateurs. In other words, professionals will have to rely on the information they get from amateurs and in their turn explore it to make sure it is indeed true and then structure it on their own professionalized way.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/17/iran.elections.rallies/index.html