Old media just sounds mean What else can we call it?
Traditional? Then wed be passing out pamphlets run off a Guttenberg
or scribed by Monks. Dead Tree? But television media is a lot more
like newspapers than new media. How about Passive Media Generally,
you are not involved as the media consumer. You get the information
as it is given to you and dont have much say. You consume and don't
have the opportunity to engage, discuss, share.
How passive media works: Something Happens Media/Source Tells
the Story Someone Consuming Media Finds Out But if we take the
audience outthe media still exists
you know, in theory
Old Medias Rules in a New Media World
Ok, maybe not new media, either Its not new anymore, and its
not defined by the technology. It needs a different distinction
that actually explains what is going on. New media is online, but
lets break it into two types: Non-linear Social
Whats really the difference between this
and this
Is non-linear media passive? Fundamentally, it is still the old
style audio, video, print just online and you pick the order you
see it basically a newspaper without Sudoku.
The flow of information hasnt changed Something Happens
Media/Source Tells the Story Someone Consuming Media Finds Out just
the technology
but, in active media, the audience is everything Something
happens The audience discusses it The conversation is the
story
And its happening across different mediums
The conversation can start anywhere
and continue somewhere else as something new
Social Media Social isnt the medium...its the action. If the
audience doesnt participateit doesnt exist
Heres the difference Passive Source/Many Source Source/Many
Source/Many ACTIVE Many Many Many Source/Many Source/Many
Passive Medias Rules in an New Media World
Theyre tryingits adorable: Source: The Bivings Report , The Use
of the Internet by Americas Largest Newspapers (2008 Edition) Dec
18 2008
http://www.bivingsreport.com/2008/the-use-of-the-internet-by-americas-largest-newspapers-2008-edition/
Whats happening? The newspaper guild (again, reporters,
editors, publishers) can't compete by adding a few blogs here,
blogging up coverage over there, and setting up comment sections.
If newspapers, magazines, and broadcasters don't produce
spectacular news coverage no blogger can match, they have no right
to survive. -Jack Shafer, Slate, Jan 28 2006
What guides passive media theory? Media controls the
information (Agenda Setting) but not necessarily how we react
(Magic Bullet) Media tends to be told from the perspective of the
majority (Hegemony Theory)
throw it out the window Source: Flickr user phrenologist
Remember, This is Passive Media: Source Many Many Many Everyone
gets the same information because the source is so huge. Its the
limitations of passive media that create agenda setting.
What about here? Source/Many Source/Many To be a source, you
have to be one of Source/Many the many Source/Many Source/Many
Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many
Why does this work? Lets play a quick game Source: Flickr user
MangoPOPTART
The Birthday Paradox The probability of two people out of 57
having the same birthday is over 99 percent. You probably thought
about this problem from an individual standpoint. The probability
of you having the same birthday as one of those other 56 people is
15 percent. What does this have to do with participatory media?
Everything. This same limitation affects passive media
Media For Masses vs. Media For You Traditional media has to
appeal to a broad audience. One of the biggest content limitations
is that it cant be too specific (yes, even cable). Your birthday is
an individual trait that is one out of 365 possibilities. With 364
ways to be wrong, traditional media cant take a chance to be so
customized.
but you can take that chance. Source/Many This is you. You have
Source/Many chosen to be a part of this conversation. Source/Many
Source/Many Source/Many
Actually, it looks more like this: Source/Many Source/Many
Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many
Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many You. You Source/Many You. You.
Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many
Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many Source/Many
Active media is a choice Its a declaration of the media you
want you have made the choice of the agenda of the conversation.
Its set by you when you pick where and to whom you are going to
talk. The good news is that there are many places to join your
conversation.
Power Law Distribution Source: Future Perfect Publishing
The Long Tail in media This happens More here: importantly, it
cant happen here: Traditional/Passive Social/Active Original
Picture by Hay Kranen / PD
Active media isnt told from the perspective of the hierarchy
YOU tell it from YOUR perspective to the people YOU want to talk.
Source: Flickr user blue_ocean_powder
Bottom line: Things have changed A centurys worth of
traditional media theory has been based on the idea that we act as
an audience first. You dont just consume media anymore you are part
of it.
we are not driving a car, with gas, brakes, reverse and a lot
of choice as to route. We are steering a kayak, pushed rapidly and
monotonically down a route determined by the environment. We have a
(very small) degree of control over our course in this particular
stretch of river, and that control does not extend to being able to
reverse, stop, or even significantly alter the direction we're
moving in. -C. Shirky, Many to Many, Jan 22 2005 Photo: Flickr user
visbeek
(cc) Dave Levy 2009 [email protected] Twitter: @levydr
Dave Levy is an Account Executive on Edelmans Digital Public
Affairs team in Washington, DC. Dave came to Edelman in 2007 after
he received a masters degree in public relations at Syracuse
Universitys S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He has a
deep background in digital media research and assisted, designed
and wrote studies on the effects of interactive media as an
undergraduate at Boston College. Dave has also written extensively
on how mobile communication can be used as a vehicle for grassroots
and public affairs advocacy, as well as the impact of real-time
mobile communication on mainstream media during major events or
disasters. A self-proclaimed geek, he blogs often about the social
aspects of social media at Most Likely To Die Alone.