The ability to have a thoughtful, inspiring discussion with Chris Anderson about the fresh ideas, thoughts and questions that his work provided was an amazing experience. And though there are some areas in his argument that I wish he would’ve explored further (i.e., word of mouth marketing, net-neutrality, etc.), his ability to deepen our engagement with his exploration of such a growing shift in culture was refreshing.
Without question, I found the area of discussion around old and new media the most intriguing. Namely, how old media goliaths in the news industry are slow to catch onto the immediacy and richness of blogs. And the old argument that old, established media are more ethically and morally grounded, thus more credible than blogs is erroneous and untenable at best. In contrast, the immediacy and communal aspect of blogs provides a stronger convention of checks and balances, thus credibility is established within a dialogical structure instead of an institutional offering.
Of course, I think that this debate will continue for some time as the media industry struggles to understand the full potential of a long tail market. But as organizations catch on, the ability for individual creativity and expression will flourish (yes, I believe in Anderson’s Pollyanna prediction) and information will be democratized.
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