Thursday, June 16, 2005

No More Point to Traditional News Media

For the last few weeks, via the internet and the "blogosphere," I have taken active part in reporting on, contributing to, and commenting about, the information flow we commonly refer to as "the news."

Now, I find I can no longer sit in front of a TV set and watch a so-called "news broadcast," nor is it any longer possible for me to sit through a commentary or talk show, or for that matter, a live CSPAN broadcast from the House floor, which lacks the interactive communications of the blogosphere.

This is more than just " journalism as conversation" --- this is journalism as a living, breathing organism, and it will very quickly teach you that the "traditional" news media is nothing more than an extremely inefficient, clogged and artificial filtration system which delivers a view of the world so highly static, distorted and manipulated it can only be described in terms of a "false reality."

But here, on the 'net and in the blogosphere, the information flow is a two-way street and these exchanges of news, information, data, opinion and analysis add greater and greater dimensions of reality to the on-going story.

The traditonal media will not survive the 'net and blogosphere unless it learns to use it and become like it.

Hooray for Steve Jobs!

Apple computer co-founder Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Address delivered June 12 has the internet alive with compliments for Jobs, and not-so-complimentary comparisons for commencement speakers across the country who wrecked graduation day for tens of thousands of grads with anti-American/anti-war/anti-Bush rants.

Jobs delivered a traditional commencement address, telling three personal stories about important lessons of life, and it's a jewel.

Again, here is the link: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html