Alfred Hermida, UBC Graduate School of Journalism.
Kirk LaPointe, Vancouver Sun
Michael Tippet, NowPublic

Additional resources:

Alfred Hermida shared a BBC chart, a resource that I am linking at now here.

Northern Voice 2009 – How Social Media is Changing Journalism

(02/21/2009)

  

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2:17	Raul:  I am sitting right in front of Mike Tippet, Kirk Lapointe and Alfred Hermida. Gillian Shaw is moderating.

2:18	Raul:  ”Relationships-based media – how social media is changing journalism” by Alfred Hermida (UBC Graduate School of journalism).

2:21

Raul:  Gillian is presenting the speakers. Alfred is going to be all academic. Looking at social media through a conceptual framework, a shift from traditional media as a “many to many”. We, the readers can criticize or follow through Twitter. Media has always been social (we’ve always been able to talk about the news). We’ve been able to discuss it, cut out clippings, there’s always a social element AFTER THE FACT. We have been able to be involved but only AFTER the editors have published the content. We haven’t been able to be involved in the process of journalism. Journalism is based on producing content for consumption. It’s not to produce content for you to mash up and create your own. Social media allows YOU (the audience) to be part of the content creation.

2:22

Raul:  Social media is creating a relationship-based journalism. The model (Deuze 2003) – where can we place social media (Deuze, 2003) – the web and its journalism. New Media and Society (5/2003). Closed journalistic culture vs. open journalistic culture Concentration on editorial content vs. concentration on public connectivity.

2:23	Raul:  Traditional media has focused now on the tension between closed journalistic and open culture vs. public connectivity/editorial content.

2:23	trishussey:  Social media vs Journalism is a matrix of connectivity and openness. #northernvoice09

2:23	Raul:  We should just use social media (all media is social) – how do people consume media.

2:24	Raul:  Mix and match of technologies. It’s a much more mixed up world. Mixes physical and digital sources. We see a lot more of the sharing, more socializing media.

2:24	Raul:  In a sense, for journalists, they have NO choice but be part of social media. Closed journalistic practices with a focus on content is no longer the way forward.

2:25	Raul:  Now it’s Kirk LaPointe’s turn

2:25	Raul:  What do you say in about 6 minutes? A few things, to start – build some sympathy.

2:26	Raul:  We are in the industry of creating news. We translate our endeavours through a prism of a business model. How do we improve the metrics of an organization, economically. We tend to figure out the size of the garden and what yield will be there instead of smelling the roses.

2:27	trishussey:  RT @hummingbird604: My liveblog of social media and journalism talk #northernvoice09 http://is.gd/knXX

2:27

Raul:  That framework holds us back. Also, not understanding the blacktail doesn’t help us. We have seen closely guarded work. We contend with revealing what we are seeking very early on, and quite transparently. We are then sharing the results and we cede control of the work to let them cut, paste, harvest, digg, etc.

2:28

Raul:  The link economy that is emerging is finding us new distribution channels that are going to pay us back. The long tail is quite important. Our research shows that 75,000 copies. Our website has 9 million pages. Social media compels us into a different kind of thinking – small and beautiful models.

2:29

Raul:  Kirk is now describing how the aggregated map works in your favor because the aggregated network model strengthens the whole end result. Now, all in all, – defy odds to build collegiality. To the point he is supposed to discuss – how are they integrating social media into journalism. How are we integrating ourselves into social media (something very conventional into something cutting-edge)

2:30	Raul:  We are still learning, we don’t link enough, we don’t take advantage of the technology yet. Blogging is still one too many. We have about 30 or so people on Twitter. The Sun is doing very well there.

2:30	Raul:  What I like is that we are doing some wiki and opening some of our stuff into wikis, and share and collaborate (sharing our research and let people play around it last year).

2:31	Raul:  Our Public Sector Database had 9,7 million views. Purpose – point to the future because no one can say you’re wrong yet. We always have been able to check a tip from the public. Clearly, our role has moved from a gate-keeper to an authenticator.

2:32

Raul:  We are now being enabled (journalists) as the verificators, authenticators of the information. It’s left to us to let people know what has really happened. We are now curators – tour guides, not really. We are curators – enabling and assembling best pieces for an exhibit. We don’t think about stories right now.

2:34

Raul:  Delude yourself that you’ve won yourself friends. We are developing an approach where we get around and learn about the people who will be sharing the information and data. Build a business model predicated on the fact that sharing all this will enable us to create more value. Television had to figure out that in some cases, people weren’t looking very good in just one camera. So it’s an evolutionary process.

2:35	Raul:  We are very much open to more people participating in the process of creating content.

2:36	Raul:  Gillian says that there’s room for everyone on the table. Now it’s Michael Tippet’s turn. Nowpublic is in the leading edge about crowdsourcing information.

2:37	Raul:  Mike’s talking now about talking about the future of news – we are talking about the future of truth. If you look back historically, there are a number of ways in which we have tried to determine the truth.

2:38	trishussey:  Liveblogging, livetweeting, livestreaming like journalist’s notes, but unfiltered. @gillianshaw comments on new reality #northernvoice09

2:38	Raul:  We have moved to an empirical world (scientific research). We are now seeing that the supply chain of truth has been re-engineered. NowPublic has been exactly around 4 years (launched here at #northernvoice). When they first started, they wanted to build the world’s largest news stations.

2:38	Raul:  Using that model, build your own sense of self and truth. There is a mythology of citizen journalism.

2:39

Raul:  The people who are live-tweeting or live-blogging aren’t your trained journalists. They are generally not motivated by journalistic intent – the motive is start a conversation and have a conversation. The control of the network is in the hands of people, it’s not controlled. The news gathering machine is not controlled anymore.

2:40	Raul:  1970s – (circa) – the old supply chain – event – witnesses – some accounts of it – journalists stitch the story together and put it into a news source which is then broadcast back to the audience, having a clear (er) picture.

2:41

Raul:  Fast forward to roughly present day – the new supply chain – before the helicopter is launched, the event witnesses are uploading content into Flickr, Twitter, etc. All sorts of platforms. The story is made up in a collective mashup… this changes the structure of the story (no clear begin and end).

2:41	Raul:  We now have a global intelligence network where you can find out what’s happening in real time. As a story breaks in this new ecology, event occurs – witness – report – crowd – the event can change in real time.

2:42	brodiedavid:  I see a few people video taping at #northernvoice09 – anyone know where videos of sessions will be available for download?

2:43

Raul:  As the results were coming in, the whole structure of how the story is being told - Citizen journalists are for the most part, just citizens – their intentions aren’t journalistic and they are not trained. Their stuff is not actually journalism. It’s a different product - The content is already out there – what information is already out there - Relationship with audience is different - Narrative structure is different

2:45	Raul:  There is a pre-supposition that journalists don’t have a bias. Can you talk a little about that Kirk – I have never written a story about something I don’t feel very strongly about.

2:46	Raul:  We think that newspapers are going to have a richer context, more depth. There will be a LOT more commentary and an understanding that people have some kind of a frame in basic events. They take their own opinion on the events .

2:46	Raul:  Alfred – evidence-based reporting. As a journalist you can’t know everything (you have a limited time frame) – ask questions – am I missing something?

2:47	Raul:  In the old times we could know how to reach you – now there’s 8 million ways to reach you. How do you like to be pitched now? How do you like to receive media releases/news? Kirk – with chequebooks (joke)

2:48	[Comment From Guest] Live Qik videos #northernvoice http://qik.com/videos/public_search?commit=Search+Videos&query=%23northernvoice

2:48	Raul:  Please note that Ianiv Schweber of NowPublic / Blogaholics is Qik streaming, Thanks to Ianiv!

2:51	trishussey:  RT @suewolff: @lblanken loves watching the bridging dynamics get worked out in the WOW guild. #northernvoice09

2:51	trishussey:  RT @iancapstick: How wld U lk 2 be pitched? “With a cheque book” says Kirk Lapointe jokes at #northernvoice09 “You will find us. Don’t w …

2:51

Raul:  My question – the ethics of journalism and social media Clay Shirky – yu don’t trust the individual journalist – you’re trusting the brand – the value that that brand has – the fact that that person works for that brand – he/she is having a brand behind him/her (the code of ethics). As a blogger you live and die by your content – you don’t have a brand – they have no credibility because they do not have that brand and credibility.

2:52	brodiedavid:  According to @Hermida main difference between citizen journalists and mainstream is credibility of brands #northernvoice09

2:52	Raul:  Kirk – The academic research – 1/2 news stories contains an error, hasn’t changed. It seems to me where I draw a line – where they are transparent and seem to have an accountability. I don’t want someone who is going to carry on invisible criticism.

2:53

Raul:  I want someone who will be willing to be accountable/answerable – that’s where the ethics come into blogging in a big way. Mike People have different expectations about when they read content. You’ll make up your own mind about whether it comes from one or another. The stuff that is flawed or erroneous – the onus is on the reader to be ethical. The onus of ethics is NOT on the writer.

2:54	[Comment From Guest] Clay Shirky is right, bloggers build trust with organic networks.

2:54	Raul:  RAUL’S POINT – I strongly and respectfully disagree with Alf’s point on being backed up by brands.

2:55	Raul:  Alfred Hermida again – You as a teacher/instructor have to be more involved and engaged.

2:55	Raul:  Mike – there is a big challenge to the Academy.

2:55	brodiedavid:  I agree with @hermida but google rank can impact credibility more than anything for those consuming news online #northernvoice09

2:56	Raul:  Facebook has basically removed the communication barriers.

2:56	[Comment From Guest] The reader also has to be critical of all sources, be their own journalists.

2:56	Raul:  Pete Quily – commenting for The Vancouver Sun not enabling links. For some reason – you might want to fix it (good point Pete)

2:57	Raul:  Kirk – Sometimes journalists can be a bit chauvinistic – we have to be a lot more gracious, simply be out there and acknowledge where the material emanated and go about that and let people know. They are linking now to their competitors.

2:57	[Comment From Guest] @brodie I agree with you about Google rank; also Technorati ranking, number of Twitter followers

2:58	Raul:  Mike The future of news – this is how news will be created. The more we invite people the less they’ll ever want to come back LOL.

2:58

Related posts:

1. Northern Voice 2009 – Social Media Mores for the Blogging Couple
2. Lisa Johnson and Kirk LaPointe Journalism and Social Media #nv10 Liveblog
3. Northern Voice 2009 – Nora Young on Buried Hatchets and Better Tomorrows (Liveblog)

This series of posts is inspired by the constant flurry of articles I see both on the mainstream media and in new media outlets debating on whether mainstream media is becoming less relevant and less fast at gathering facts, whether it is being replaced by blogging or whether they can have any sort of good relationship. Furthermore, I am someone who conducts academic, peer-reviewed research and publishes in international journals. I am used to talk to mainstream media (MSM) outlets and have my findings disseminated to a general audience. But furthermore, I *am* a blogger. I love writing and I love writing about my research too. So, while I don’t see myself as a media outlet, I have relationships with media and I am also involved in writing.

The debate centered on the instantaneous nature of social media and how it has sometimes beaten mainstream media to the punch is exemplified with the case of the US Airways plane ditching on the Hudson River, where the first photograph of the plane was taken by someone who uploaded it to Twitpic and disseminated it on Twitter.

Frankly, given that I am friends on Twitter (and in some cases, in real life) with folks from the mainstream media who *are* trying hard to understand the social media world, I am always amazed at the heated discussions that arise between journalists and bloggers. Heck, even The Huffington Post has recognized that it won’t replace The New York Times! I have written about the complex relationship between bloggers and journalists before.

I would like to bring academia as an additional actor in the dyad bloggers-journalists. I am not sure yet how to frame it, but this series of posts should help me frame my thinking around it. I also would like to point out that the changing and ever-evolving relationship between blogging and journalism is part of what Michael Geist calls “The New Normal”.

There’s one point where I am thinking blogging, academic writing and journalism converge – sources and speed of publication. An academic is required to double, triple-check their facts and conduct thorough research that, naturally, slows down the speed of publication. This standard of research depth is part of the training academics have. I’ve also seen journalists say that they are required to double and triple-check their facts and sources, whereas apparently bloggers don’t (I have to say that I disagree with this point, because a lot of bloggers DO do a lot of research and are extremely accurate in doing their source-checking, fact-checking and cross-linking). But one thing is true – in the spectrum of publishing speed, the fastest you can get is through publishing a blog post, then a newspaper article, and the slowest time from generation to publication is for sure the academic journal article.

Of course, as with all my posts, feel free to chime in your thoughts.

Related posts:

1. Social media tools and academia
2. Vancouver Five Hole For Food 2011 Mainstream Media Game on Granville Street #FHFF
3. Coverage of Pride Vancouver by the mainstream media

Blogs and bloggers of all stripes, whether or not they like this fact, have become part of the journalistic discourse. That hasn’t stopped many bloggers from contending that they are not practicing pure journalism and therefore are not governed by the same ethics. This is a slippery-slope argument. Many bloggers say they want to be accepted by the mainstream media as another facet of public discourse, but this seems to be a hard goal to achieve if plagiarism, a cardinal sin in the world of journalism, is brushed off as a minor offense (or no offense at all). Just because blogs are a “free medium” doesn’t mean that rules of playing fair need not apply.[Cynthia L. Webb, Filter, The Washington Post, Apr 9, 2003]

The main point of this quotation relates to how some bloggers may not attribute and source, but this is only one of the points – the ethics of sourcing and attribution. There are MANY other points where journalism and blogging overlap, and they still seem to be getting into a fight. The point is, in my view, that blogging has indeed become another way of reaching an audience, and thus, there is a place for it in the journalistic discourse. No need to fight, just understand each other.

The relationship between mainstream media (MSM) and blogging seems to almost always be rocky, no matter what. But is it really reinventing journalism, destroying journalism, or can we create a symbiosis where both can co-exist? I’d be curious to hear your opinion.

[SIDE BAR - A very good post by Rebecca picked up on these points last year, and it's still very timely/current]

Related posts:

1. New media and the adaptive capacity of journalism to evolve
2. Blogging about blogging, Twittering about Twitter…
3. The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging – Book Review