Unjournalism

Acknowledge the power of giving people a voice

Posted on April 25th, 2007 by Mike Keliher
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Looks like a picked a good time to start reading Stowe Boyd’s blog (thanks to continual references from Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson). In a post from about 10 days ago, Stowe writes about Andrew Keen, whom I’ve never heard of. Apparently Andrew doesn’t like new “Web 2.0″ toys and the (debatable) impact their having.

Keen calls the Cluetrain Manifesto — actually, the theses within — “childish.” I might not agree with them all, but I wouldn’t consider them childish or naive, which I think Keen is confusing with “simple and straightforward.”

Keen also draws out the stupid “70 million blogs” stat and refers to the blogosphere (is there a worse word in the world?) as “our own electronic diaries, our own half-informed opinions, our own stupidity and ignorance.” I hate the “70 million” stat as a defense — “Yuh huh! Blogging is to cool!” — and I hate it even more when its used in conjunction with “…but most of them are worthless.”

Yeah, most of them are worthless to most people. But I don’t care about “most of them.” I care that now I can get the scoops and info of TechCrunch, the professional insight and camaraderie for For Immediate Release, and the piles of other great information and entertainment I get from people I never would have heard of were it not for blogging and podcasting. It’s not about 70 million; in my case, it’s about the few dozens blogs and podcast that make up my list of must-read, -see or -hear.

New media are not killing or disintermediating traditional media; they are complementing traditional media. Expertise, authority and power (as they pertain to knowledge and the communication thereof) aren’t determined by ownership of an FCC license or a printing press. They are determined by the respect of others. Narcissistic and informationless blogs won’t earn respect, won’t establish experts, won’t wield power. Good blogs will.

Sweeping generalizations about the value or lack of value of blogs and podcasts won’t get us anywhere. I’m not asking you to give up the newspaper and devote yourself to new media. I ask that people acknowledge the power of giving more people a public voice.