Blogs as the new media
p2p news / p2pnet: As much as the traditional world press corps would like it to be otherwise, its members are being slowly but surely replaced by citizen journalists who use blogs and news sites to tell it like it really is.
But as we’ve suggested elsewhere, the two mediums don’t have to be entirely mutually exclusive. To add weight to that contention, BBC News Interactive deputy editor Paul Brannan recently gave the July 7 London bombings as an example of how, for the first time, the BBC really got hold of ‘user-generated content’ (UGC) and distributed material throughout the corporation," says Jemima Kiss in Online Journalism News.
"Thousands of video clips, images and reports were submitted to the site after the bombings happened, and some critical information and eyewitness reports reached the BBC before even the authorities knew what was happening," she has Brannan saying. "In the past the treatment had been token, but suddenly this stuff was in front of a whole nation," he said.
Users retain copyright when they submit content to the BBC, "although the corporation can use the material throughout the BBC and does not pay for submissions," he stated.
But, "Newspapers had often been quick to ’steal’ readers’ images from the site and Mr Brannan said that remained a problem; images can’t be watermarked if they are to be published on the site, and a BBC ident could easily be cropped out or digitally manipulated by software such as Adobe Photoshop."
Newspapers, "do not seem to care about the threat of being sued for ’stealing’ photos: ‘They just want the photo right now’."
By way of example, a viewer sent in a strong image and said that he was happy for the BBC to use it anywhere – but that it must not be used by any part of the Murdoch empire, says Kiss, adding the Beeb, "now has a hub of four people that deal solely with verifying, soliciting and distributing UGC throughout the corporation".
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See:-
like it really is – P2p data sharing, October 30, 2005
mutually exclusive – P2p at its finest, October 19, 2004
first time – London terror blast info: blogs, July 7, 2005
Online Journalism News – BBC shares lessons of reader content, October 28, 2005
November 2nd, 2005 at 3:31 am
It’s true, blogs such as this one, are the medium of the future…. not only that, they are the medium of TODAY. We have been shown time and time again that lamestream media, which in the US of A is amazingly controlled in the hands of a few —- to the tune of over 92% of ALL radio, television, and movies. We speak of “freedom of speech” in the USA, but when 92% is dictated by “neo-cons” and their like, no “free” speech can exist. Speak the truth, and your “future” and “livelihood” is at stake.
That is why, we the people turn to blogs and the internet. It is a source that is truthful, trusted, and accurate. We speak and we are heard!