Interesting theory about news April 17, 2009
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Education, Grad school, Media, New Media, Superfluous musings.add a comment
A friend had an interesting point about newspapers today. We were talking about the speed with which newspapers are closing up shop these days; how 2-3 years ago the expectation was that the huge dailies (NYT-caliber) and the ultra-local small papers will survive, while everything else will be extinct thanks to declining subscriptions and advertising rates (cragislist killed the paid classifieds, which is – surprisingly – even more important than glossy ads for many print publicatons). Today, it turns out even older generation readers are canceling their ultra-local newspaper subscriptions because they get all their “news” online. Even highly educated friends of mine are enamoured with the “news” they have access to at their fingertips, 24/7, video virtually as-it-happens, and they like being able to participate in the “news”-shaping and read mostly blogs, etc. But then I have to stop and think about it – are they really getting “news” in the strict definition of the term? They are certainly getting a lot more commentary and even pure value-deprived entertainment… at least based on what I was taught in j-school just four years ago. So why are people so quick to embrace all of this other stuff that’s marketed as “news.” Well, partly because it’s tailored to their world view and interests (narrowly focused topic-based blogs, entertianing vidoes, slanted media outlets (read: Fox, MSNBC, Air America, etc.). But partly because it’s all become so ubiquitos and we’ve all become so impatient.
When the plane recently crashed in the Hudson, I remember a PR colleague say he specifically experimented with tracking all the blogs, i-reporter style web sites, various other online outlets and the big ones – i.e. the old school journalism outlets… Turns out NYT.com was the last of the bunch to upload a story. Why? Because their reporters, despite witnessing the event as-it-happened, did some journalism – they called sources in the mayor’s office, the fire department, first responders, etc. and tried to gather and confirm facts. Everyone else beat them – eyewitnesses with video-capturing cell phones who uploaded nearly real-time, etc.
At any rate, I have recently been wondering a lot about how quickly things are shifting in the communications industry. When I started in PR 2.5 years ago, we were targeting top outlets for the highest impact, most top-tier readers reached, etc. Now, we tout targeting the narrowest of publications, the most niche blogs, because readership continues to splinter into interest groups and that’s where the most powerful impact can take place.
My friend’s point was that perhaps it will take a cataclismic event, a rock-bottom of sorts, that will help people see what they’re truly being fed as “news” and only then will we as readers and consumers revive our thirst for fact-checking, balanced journalism. (The real kind, now “fair and balanced” as in Fox branding.) It’s interesting isn’t it? She even compared it to the economy with a metaphor – both will hit rock bottom (as they are spiraling out of control now) before we see a curve toward recovery.
I think this is fascinating time. Part of me wants to be in grad school to observe and analyze… but perhaps a bigger part of me wants to be in the business itself, participating, being part of the changes, truly working in, with, and during these unprecedented and increasingly faster changes. Fascinating.
On immigration… continued… April 17, 2009
Posted by midnightzimadreams in Civics, International Relations, Life.add a comment
Another radio show on the topic of illegal immigration and this one’s local – on OPB. Wow! The audacity of hypocrisy continues to amaze. The anti-illigal immigrant speaker says that a caller (Jennifer – I didn’t hear her story, but sounds like her family came to the US from Mexico when she was a few weeks old, illegally) who has continued on to college … OK, so he asked “who benefits more from her education (for which Oregon taxpayers have paid) – the US or Mexico?” Wow… First of all, taxpayers is not by definition only legal US citizens and residents. Moreover, there are both illegal and legal residents who don’t pay taxes, so stop blaming undocumented workers for “taking advantage” of services without taxation! Second of all, this spokesperson tried to spin his argument in a benevolent light – Jennifer should go back to Mexico, that country can definitely use a lot of educated young people who contribute to its development, so the US shouldn’t selfishly keep those young talented people.
Ha! How hypocritical! If anything, the US should attract the best talent from around the world to help us stay on top of innovation. I’m sure this gentleman would have no probelm with me, simply because I came here legally, or – more likely – because he wouldn’t guess about me that I was foreign-born when he met me.
We shouldn’t reward people for their parents’ criminal acts, he says! Who’s saying anythinga bout rewarding them? People like Jennifer put themselves through college, work and pay taxes, and contribute to our progress with their talent and hard work.
Hmmm… if indeed this gentleman was so altruistic and wanted to get these young people back to their countries of origin, doesn’t that mean that we should educate them in US universities and then send them back, armed with the tools they’ll need to help their countries prosper? Oh, wait, if we educate them here, we’ve invested in them. Why would we send them away instead of employing their enhanced minds into innovation right here?!
None if it makes sense. It’s just sad, furstrating, and offensive. Since when is it a crime to work hard to improve your life and your children’s lives? Isn’t that what we are all doing?
For a country made up of immigrants and migrants, for a country that is supposed to be symbolic melting pot of the world leading by example in its multicultural nature, we certainly have a long way to go.
The problem is not the illegal immigrants themsevles. The probelm is that the US legislative and enforcement branches of government have failed to put in place a speedy, legal process for immigrants from countries south of our border. Most recently this has been rendered even more difficult by the border violence by drug cartels (which both Mexico and the US share responsibility for). But this is only a recent development and for many years leading up to now, immigrants from Europe and Asia and our norther neighbor have been welcomed with much easier, streamlined process. Why?
I would be very interested to find out what the process is for immigrants from Africa and more about Asia. I wonder, also, how telling statistics would be if we compare immigration patterns and processes in place for affluent countries vs. developing ones; of European countries vs. other corners of the world.
