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If I Had My Way |
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One Man's Opinion -- for what it's worth Date: Monday, Sep 05, 2011 Subject: David Carr - NYT... Thank you, David, for your 04 Sep 2011 post entitled, "A Tech Blogger Who Leaps Over the Line." It was a breathtaking admission of TechCrunch's exceptionalism, and news of Mr. Arrington's audacious caper roiled the blogosphere all day. At midnight on Thursday I reached Arianna Huffington, head of AOL's editorial operations, who was traveling in Brazil. Things seemed to have changed in only a few hours. And, for your 27 Aug 2011 post entitled, "Steve Jobs Reigned in a Kingdom of Altered Landscapes." Apple is a technology company, but as someone who writes about the insular kingdom of media, I can't think of a bigger player on the board in the last 10 years. In music, in movies and in publishing, Apple has upended long-standing paradigms and altered the media landscape. (Television has been another story, so far, though there are rumors that the company is turning its guns on TV in a big way.) And, for your 22 Jun 2009 post entitled, "How Good (or Not Evil) Is Google?" The company's large footprint in the culture means it is an endless subject of speculation. Apart from the federal regulatory interest in the book settlement, there have been whispers in the Valley about a fleeing of talent, in part because Twitter, the buzziest Web app of the moment, was put together by Google expats. And the success that had journalists running out of superlatives has returned to earth, or at least a Google version of it: the company recorded annual revenue growth of only 31 percent, and just 6 percent in the first quarter of this year. I am really glad that you recognize some aspects of the problem; however, I am disappointed that your employer is failing to take corrective action against the root causes of the primary problem. In the first example you are acknowledging the usurpation of power by financial interests, the venture capitalists. In the second, you deal with Apple, a technology company and it's usurpation of power -- and in the third you are dealing with Google. But, what caused all this usurpation of power?? Where were the "Watchdogs"?? Well, you might say that they were sitting in the corner, playing with themselves -- they were afraid to antagonize some advertisers. The fundamental problem is forgetting who you work for -- not you as an individual -- you as a representative of the New York Times. You do NOT work for your advertisers -- you work for your readers, "We, the people" As a "watchdog", the media failed to monitor technology when it lost it's way and started working for itself, instead of "We, the people", And to make matters a whole lot worse, the media allowed technology to turn the media world on it's ear without so much as a whimper. I can't help but see that as being rather dumb -- right?? And the strangest part of the whole situation, is the fact that you, in the media, can fix the problem -- if you are willing to bite the bullet. First, you need your own database -- an archive, a destination for all published materials so that you can stop Google from reproducing copyrighted material without permission. Second, you need to furnish your subscribers with database software so that they can access the archive, as well as publish comments and other contributions to the activity of the NYT. Third, and most important, you need to "empower" your readers by encouraging their participation in all phases of NYT activity. Journalists will need to learn to talk "with" readers, as opposed to talking "at" readers. Obviously, there is more -- a whole lot more -- to discuss. Are you up to it?? To be continued (I Hope) Doug Skoglund - skoglund@pdmsb.com This page has been posted at http://ifihadmyway.com/FD014.htm
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