What: Harvard conference on Blogging, Journalism & Credibility
When: January 2005
Link: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/webcred/
Reading notes:
Conference gathered a group of 50 journalists, news executives, media scholas and librarians. Entering an era in which professionals hav elost control over information, reporting and framing what's imoprtant to the public. Credibility of weblogs? Is it a zero-sum game in which the media lose credibility? Conference participants believed the answer is no: the goal of informing the public is shared. A few summary conclussions:
- The new media ecosystem has room for citizen's media and proffessional organizations as well. They will have tensions but they will complement and feed off each other
- The acts of blogging and journalism are different, both have valuable functions within the ecosystem.
- Ethics and credibility are key but very hard too define. No clear answers. Transparency is not enugh, credibility also depends of trust relationship with the public.
- Many media organizations are now blogging as a way to build loyalty, trust and credibility. Establishing relationships btw newspapers and blogging communities, having traditional journalist blogging, bringing the expertise of audiences who don't blog.
- New esperiments in citizen's journalism are emerging, such as wikinews, grassroots journalism and hyper local citizen's media projects.
- Opening online archives makes sennse for business, credibiliity and for the audience. Increases traffic, creates a social benefit.
Questions remained unanswered:
- Are blogs the best tool for grassroots conversation?
- What will the new business model be?
- How can we engage non-bloggers, disconnected population in the conversation
- How much of this conversation is only relevant in the US?
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