New and Old Media, Participation, and Information
March 1
The profusion of low-cost media production and distribution has led to the rise of an alternative citizen-led media sector. Is this a passing fad of enthusiastic amateurs or the beginning of a fundamental restructuring of the way media and news are produced and consumed? Will the current trends lead to more information, better information, and better informed people or to an infinite stream of unreliable chatter? Will it lead to a more politically engaged populace or to an increasingly polarized society that picks its sources of information to match its biases and ignorance?
Assignments
Please read the executive summary of the Media Re:public Overview and one additional Media Re:public paper, and the executive summary, conclusions and recommendations of the Knight report. Use those as a jumping off point to explore either of those sets of resources in greater depth. You should delve more deeply into at least a few of the major challenges and possible solutions related to business models, the participation gap, and the changing media ecosystem (which are all broad topics, and can be considered from many perspectives).
If you would like to work in a group, you should submit a short paragraph explaining why a group approach to your proposed topic for the final project makes sense by today.
Readings
- Media Re:public Overview - Read at least the executive summary
- Knight Commission Report on Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy - Read at least the executive summary, recommendations and conclusions
- Media Re:Public website
- Knight Commission report website
Optional Readings
- Jay Rosen, Open Source Journalism (video)
- We The Media, Dan Gillmor (the Introduction is a good start, so to speak)
- Jay Rosen, Bloggers vs. Journalists Is Over
- Shirky on Social Media