With Liz Jackson (Four Corners), Peter McEvoy, Catharine Lumby (
Notes…. on what they had to say
Liz Jackson,
- It is no longer a question of traditional media being elite over online as all media have an online presence now.
- Online media adds the capacity for audience to not only watch and read but participate.
- Pressure to simplify messages has always been there - this is not new or unique to online media.
- There is a concern that resources are getting driven into refreshing content constantly rather than investigative journalism.
- Online has opened up the opportunity for a broad range of voices which is a relief.
Peter Maceroy, former Media Watch
- Isn’t surprised by low brow content like quizzes and weird spots on SMH, Tele etc as it is certainly present in the papers too.
- Concerned that online is stealing advertising revenue from the papers and is concerned about a fall in circulation of papers
- Is concerned about the pressure on traditional media (views it as under threat)
- On the other hand, believes that journalists have only been looking at online as another delivery system for their content and would like to see it being harnessed as a new way of interacting with content.
Dylan Walsh, SMH Online
- Illustrated last weeks most viewed stories, and while the top one was entertainment related, the other four were serious/ hard news stories.
- Not too concerned by Paris and Britney being popular news
- Concern: speed over quality
- Concern: clicks over quality
- Highlights that online readers are new markets and that there is a small cross over in the people who buy paper and those who read online (20%)
- ¼ million papers per day and ½ million unique browsers (during the week)
- In one year smh.com.au grew from ½ million visitors per month to 6 million.
- Big question of how are we going to make consumers pay. New York Times closed its subscription model.
- We make 5 – 10% of revenue in advertising that the newspaper does.
- Worry that click phenomena is precise in its reporting which sends advertising into a frenzy and dictates the importance of content. Content is measured against what is more popular as opposed to what is good work.
- Concern at the high turn over with very little follow up stories. Eg, what if Watergate was a 2 part web story about five guys that got arrested.
- Closed with the sound slide of question time used as an illustration as how an interesting piece in the context of a website, with surrounding content is an opportunity to tell stories in a new way.
Jacqueline Green, http://www.electiontracker.net/
- Vibewire is a by young people for young people model. They run the election tracker which employs four young people to report on the election.
- Thinks that citizen journalism gives room for marginalised and young voiced. Too often adults are writing for other adults.
- Highlighted scenarios where citizen journalism has brought attention to issues that institutions wouldn’t touch. Ie, Matt Drudge (http://www.drudgereport.com/) breaking the Monika Lewinski story where others wouldn’t for fear of political and financial repercussions.
- Thinks that plurality of views is a good thing.
- Thinks that people hold views that are more diverse than what the SMH or Tele would reflect
- Has found a place online where traditional media had given her no space
- Showed Abu Ghraib prison images and highlighted that it isn’t that the atrocity happened that made these images so impactful it is the fact that ordinary people took these snaps to share with mates. It is that it highlights the possibilities for information now that people have access to the tools (technology) that enables these candid snaps to be distributed. Makes this war less clean looking than the controlled content that came out of the first Gulf War.
- There is a new power in amateur content in that it is less conscious and there is less intervention in its production. (ie, no editors and business agenda)
- Online media is an opportunity not a threat
- Who holds the right to determine what voices matter and where their place is?
- Who determines what serious news journalism is and what is dross?
- View that advertising models among young people will only be successful if you give them something to entertain them or something that is useful.
- Online media provides an opportunity for new forms of story telling
