Shayne Bowman and Chris Willis of HypergeneMediaBlog have produced an excellent overview of Our Current Dilemma titled The Future Is Here, But Do News Media Companies See It? It was written for Nieman Reports, so perhaps it will find its way into the consciousness of some newspaper editors who avoid this messy blog world.
Some key points, and some reactions:
- "The greater threat to the longevity of established news media might not be a future that’s already arrived; it might be their inability to do anything about it." That's our trap.
- New hyperlocal websites are "giving a new identity to the communities they serve." This is precisely right. People care deeply about where they live, and editors need to understand that everything they do contributes to "branding" the local community. What are you doing that influences your community's perception of itself?
- "Most citizens don't want to be journalists but do want to contribute in small and meaningful ways." This is why I reject the "citizen journalism" label; the "journalism" part skews our expectations. What I've found is that people want to help one another, and if we just get it through our thick heads that not everything has to look/feel/smell like a newspaper story, we'll do fine in this space.
- "It’s easy to underestimate what it takes to be successful in an online community." I've said this before: You can not succeed with software. A successful community conversation requires and demands leadership.