Dan Gillmor's talk at Joi's KMD Digital Journalism Class

Mediactive:

Using Media in a Networked Age

Dan Gillmor

Agenda

0. Media Shift

1. Supply

1.1 Boundaries Blur

1.2 Market Failure

1.3 Good News

2. Demand

2.1 Messy

2.2 “Public Failure”

3. Principles

3.1 Consumers

3.2 Creators

4. Mediactive

0

Media Shift

Media 0.1

Media 0.5

Media 1.0

Media 1.1

Media 1.5

Media 2.0

Media 2.5

Media 3.0

‘Democratized’ Media

Not in the sense of voting......but Participation

–Creation/Production–Access

2

Supply

Who is a journalist?

Wrong question.

Journalism

Not Journalism

Hmmm....

AND, not OR

Trade Association

Innovation | Adaptation(Good news: Trying New Things is Cheap)

“(T)he low cost of failure means that

someone with a new idea doesn't have to convince

anyone else to let them try it -- there are few

institutional barriers between thought and action.”

-- Clay Shirky

Start with good ideaDevelop fast & launchFix what’s brokenFail fastRepeat

3

Demand

Photo by Stovak via Flickr

Too Much Information

Photos by Eammon Sullivan and perspikace via Flickr

Is It Accurate? Trustworthy?

Not Necessarily, in a ‘Photoshop’ World

Not to Mention (ahem)…

The (Eco)System Needs Repair

Photo by Frozen Coffee, via Flickr

Photo by Curious Expeditions, via Flickr

3

Principles

1. Persuade News “Consumers” to be Active Media Users

2. Persuade Journalists to do Better Journalism

Principles (for “consumers”)

Skepticism–Be skeptical of absolutely everything

Professional“Amateur”

Mass

Niche

Typical Daily Newspaper

Local TV News

Everything.

Principles

SkepticismJudgment

–But not equally skeptical of absolutely everything

Credibility Scale (BS Meter)

0-30 +30

Credibility Scale

0-30 +30

Citizen Media (e.g. blogs)Random Comments

*

* except the editorial page…

Photo: LaughingSquid.com via Flickr

Anonymous Speech

We must preserve anonymity–Especially when free speech can mean

loss of liberty, or lifeBut, in almost all cases, anonymous

speech lacks credibility– If a personal attack is anonymous,

assume it is a lie

Principles

SkepticismJudgmentResearch

–Ask your own questions, especially when making big decisions

Best place to startWorst place to stop

Principles

SkepticismJudgmentResearchFree thinking

–Go outside your comfort zone, in politics and culture

–Be relentless with yourself

Principles

SkepticismJudgmentResearchFree thinkingTechniques

–Create media–Understand how media persuade

Principles for Journalists

All of the above (principles for consumers) PLUS:

Thoroughness

Principles for Journalists

ThoroughnessAccuracy

Principles for Journalists

ThoroughnessAccuracyFairness

Principles for Journalists

ThoroughnessAccuracyFairnessIndependence

Principles for Journalists

ThoroughnessAccuracyFairnessIndependenceTransparency

4

Mediactive

Please help:

dan@dangillmor.com+1.650.868.7528

dangillmor.com