Citizens or Customers; Google boss explains the future to the newsmen of the past
In 2008 the owners of Youtube, Google, announced the beginning of a new era for the video website. Full length re-runs of MacGyver, Star Trek and other old hits were now on the menu meaning an end to the ten minute rule for some.
USA Today reported on plans to turn the website into the cashcow it always had the potential to be. It will mean the eventual replacement of the general public’s random downloads, most of which are pointless anyway.
But they do allow a freedom of expression and transfer of information by ordinary people unconceivable only a generation ago. Last week Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, spoke for an hour at the annual conference of the Newspaper Association of America. Youtube has the entire 53 minutes on one video.
We are all equal, some of us more than others. Will the media giants of today and tomorrow provide not just the tools to communicate but also the rules?
Schmidt seems very cleat that its about looking after customers, not citizens. Is that what journalism is to become in the internet age?
loumacs said,
May 7, 2009 at 5:09 pm
News is very often information people don’t like or find hard to digest. It is not about adding sugar to make a product more marketable or palatable. It is clear that a viable business model is needed for News organisations to continue but by the way Schmidt talks about ‘The future of news’, and ‘what your readers/consumers want’. it is clear that he knows nothing about journalism and plenty about making money and covering his backside with a team of lawyers from school B. When customers become more important than citizens it will be a sad day. If companies like Google start tailoring news to suit ‘consumers’ for profit, then news will die and nothing but gossip, rumour and celebrity rubbish will remain.
coogeechris said,
May 7, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Check out the Leitrim Post which closed down this week. The three journos and two photographers were let go but the two advertising staff have been ‘redeployed’ by the owners, River Media Group.