Five Ways New Media Five Ways New Media Will Save Old MediaWill Save Old Media

By Mathew IngramBy Mathew IngramCommunities Editor, The Globe and MailCommunities Editor, The Globe and Mail

- old media - old media needsneeds to be saved to be saved- old media - old media cancan be saved be saved- old media - old media shouldshould be saved be saved

Three implicit assumptions:Three implicit assumptions:

Does old media Does old media needneed to be saved? to be saved?

- revenues dropping- revenues dropping- circulation stagnant at best- circulation stagnant at best- newspapers going under- newspapers going under

Let's call that one “proven”Let's call that one “proven”

CanCan old media be saved? old media be saved?

I believe that it can...I believe that it can...

...but I admit I have no ...but I admit I have no proof this is trueproof this is true

What do we mean when we What do we mean when we say “saved?” say “saved?”

If we mean returning media If we mean returning media entities to previous levels of entities to previous levels of

profitability, then noprofitability, then no

ShouldShould old media be saved? old media be saved?

I believe that it should...I believe that it should...

...but I have no proof that ...but I have no proof that this is true eitherthis is true either

- accuracy- accuracy- independence- independence- sense of trust- sense of trust

Old or “traditional” media has Old or “traditional” media has many strengths:many strengths:

Not salvation, but evolutionNot salvation, but evolution

We must teach the fish to We must teach the fish to walk on its finswalk on its fins

Not “old” but “traditional” mediaNot “old” but “traditional” media

All we need to do is add to those All we need to do is add to those traditions – or change themtraditions – or change them

A new ethic of journalism that A new ethic of journalism that includes reader interactionincludes reader interaction

My evolution:My evolution:

10 years ago, I was a 10 years ago, I was a “traditional” journalist“traditional” journalist

I called people up, asked them I called people up, asked them irritating questions, wrote down irritating questions, wrote down what they said and then put it in what they said and then put it in

the newspaper.the newspaper.

Then:Then:

I stopped writing columns and I stopped writing columns and started writing a blog.started writing a blog.

Two very powerful changes:Two very powerful changes:

1) people could link to what I 1) people could link to what I wrote, promoting it to their wrote, promoting it to their

friends and othersfriends and others

2) people could comment 2) people could comment on what I wrote, telling me on what I wrote, telling me

when I was wrong, or when I was wrong, or adding informationadding information

Those two fundamental changes Those two fundamental changes encapsulate all the ways media encapsulate all the ways media has changed and is changinghas changed and is changing

Five Ways New Media Will Five Ways New Media Will Save Old MediaSave Old Media

1) By enlarging the size of 1) By enlarging the size of the media piethe media pie

- tools are cheap, widely distributed- tools are cheap, widely distributed- more sources of media = better- more sources of media = better- unless you see it as a priesthood- unless you see it as a priesthood

2) by making media a 2) by making media a process instead of a product process instead of a product

- real events don't occur in neat, - real events don't occur in neat, time-specific packages. That was time-specific packages. That was

an outgrowth of a specific platforman outgrowth of a specific platform

3) by making media human3) by making media human

- people look for trusted filters- people look for trusted filters- more information = more filters- more information = more filters- we earn trust by being human- we earn trust by being human

4) by making media multi-directional4) by making media multi-directional

- people formerly known as readers- people formerly known as readers- somewhere, someone knows- somewhere, someone knows- more information = better media- more information = better media

5) by giving people choice5) by giving people choice

- see media as a spectrum- see media as a spectrum- trade accuracy for immediacy?- trade accuracy for immediacy?- dis-aggregation of media- dis-aggregation of media

- they are all ways of strengthening - they are all ways of strengthening the relationship we have with the the relationship we have with the people we formerly called readerspeople we formerly called readers

What do these things What do these things have in common?have in common?

- admitting that we are human- admitting that we are human- inviting them into the conversation - inviting them into the conversation - taking their input seriously- taking their input seriously

We do that by:We do that by:

““Trust is the new black.”Trust is the new black.”

- Craig Newmark- Craig Newmark

A stronger relationship with the A stronger relationship with the people formerly called readers people formerly called readers isn't just a nice thing to have...isn't just a nice thing to have...

...it's the key to the survival of ...it's the key to the survival of our industry.our industry.