Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

 

Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

It allows us to connect with millions across the world 



2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

The Net is open to innovation like email, the web, Spotify or Snapchat – but is also makes it next to impossible to stop spam, abuse or the trading of images of child abuse.

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

Open technology refers to data being "open" to all users of the internet, end to end connection without the data being comprehended by the computer, free software and an unregulated platform. I disagree with the idea of open technology as I believe regulation is crucial to protect people's data and also stop harmful content from being shared.


4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

How "open" should the internet be? It could be heavily regulated to protect content and privacy, but this could also become suppressive. It could be very open but this could create a flow of unregulated harmful content.

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

I believe that there should  be some control, and some openness, a middle way. This is because I believe being too controlled becomes suppression of voices, however there must be some regulation in place to protect the internet.

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

A profession is something that provides help to or solves something hard, requiring a skill. In newspapers, professional behaviour is guided by both commercial imperative and by an additional set of norms about what newspapers are, should be staffed and run, what good journalism is and so forth.

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

Before, newspapers chased a profit based on printing expenses. Before, stories from Iraq, box scores from sports, and ads from a multitude of companies. now due to mass amateurization of publishing we went from "Why publish this?" to "Why not?" 

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

The news didn't make a story at the official publishers, but the independent blogs posted about it and it became a sensation.

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?

Mass amateurization is a result of the radical spread of expressive capabilities, and the most obvious precedent is the one that gave birth to the modern world: the spread of the printing press five centuries ago.

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

Shirky highlights repetition and volume can give a message legitimacy. In todays media anyone can publish content, misinformation can spread. If a false claim is made across a lot of mediums, people can give it credibility. This creates something where the appearance of credibility may be more important than real verified evidence. E.g The vaccine scandals etc etc and trump campaigns a few yers ago

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

Shirky argues major technology shifts like the printing press or internet causes long periods of chaos before new norms are made. We are still adjusting to the impact of internet.

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?

This emphasises mass amaterisation. Everyone with a phone can comment or share news. It creates a way to express free speech but it also blurrs the line between professional work and opinion based work

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?

THe rise of popular movements are fueled by online platforms, e.g trump and reform Spread of disinformation in elections Polarization due to algorithms Loss of trust in traditional news and science

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

Back in the days not many had good, professional cameras. Now everybody walks around with a high grade camera and can take quality pictures whenever they want even though their skills may not be good.

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

This is a period of chaos, but this isnt a bad thing. It may be necessary for us to progress with more applicable norms and values to guide us through the internet and our future