Clay Shirky End of Audience: Blog Task

Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excel  November 25, 2018

Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excel November 25, 2018

Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

The article talks about how the internet has allowed for innovation such as the email and the web. It also allows for people to communicate with each other easier allowing for freedom of speech to everyone. 
2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

Being able to stop spam, abuse. Other extremists use the internet as a way to recruit more members to join them.

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

The idea of encouraging a diverse online culture that allows all voices to be heard. I agree with the idea of open technology as it gives people the opportunity of 'freedom of speech'. However government action and restriction can be taken in order to stop or prevent harm such as extremist groups.

4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

•  Does open technology mean that free software can be used, changed and redistributed without payment or permission?
• Does this mean that the internet allows computers to exchange data, even though the network doesn't actually understand the meaning of what is being exchanged?

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

I think that regulation of the internet right now has a good balance. Users are still able to access websites freely and able to express their opinions with freedom of speech. The control that there is now makes sure that businesses and people are protected by guidelines, such as fraud and abuse which can be taken down if necessary. 

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

A profession is something that exists to solve a hard problem - typically one that requires some form of specialization. (For example a race car driver requires specialized training in order to ensure that he/she can drive the car safely and at speed).

In the newspaper industry, this idea of professionalism can be applied to the concept of having a "good journalist." Journalists traditionally needed to be trained in order to know how to seek out newsworthy stories, and how to do so quickly.

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

Problems of production and distribution are much less serious, therefore the media is less and less in the hands of professionals. This sparks the question of how society will be informed about the news of the day. 

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

His apology made the story relevant - the first couple of days it got very little coverage and as the days went on it became less fresh and therefore was less relevant. 

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?

The growth in the amount of self-published content found on the internet. The idea of everyone being able to produce and publish content as well as consume it.

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

Publishers can write stories from a different angle of the story and publish it and people would think it is a reliable source of news. Circulation of this news story would increase as more people click on it and share it, causing more people to be mislead by false information.

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

He states that there is a time lag between the transitions and there is normally a long period of chaos between the transitions which we are most likely in at the moment before we move on from this.

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?

The internet has allowed anyone to publish information and declare themselves a journalist. The journalist privilege of not revealing sources was tied to traditional forms of media before the internet and to scare amount of people who were traditional professionals. But now the meaning of a journalist needs to be changed as some bloggers used to work for traditional outlets and still have sources. It's important to recognize who can have the rights of journalistic privilege, while still not alienating those who have an audience online.

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?

The world was in a period of intellectual and political chaos and broke more things than it fixed. Right now 'fake news' had dominated the internet and the misinformation of readers has led to a change of opinions on news stories that would have been different if it were covered by newspapers. 

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

Digital cameras and phones have changed the industry with anyone being able to produce content and publish it anywhere, threatening professionals.

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

I think that this era of 'mass amateurisation' is positive as the digital age has given more people the chance to become 'citizen journalists'. Just by having a phone and recording an event it can be circulated through social media and end up as a news source. It has also given another platform where freedom of speech can be applied and a place where people can come and discuss current events.