Post #3: Who's Really an Amateur (Jedd)

          Mass amateurization. Is it a good or bad thing? According to Clay Shirkey's writings, mass amateurization can be simplified to a term used to describe the idea that unprofessionals, or amateurs, are doing some of the jobs that professionals would be expected to do. It's becoming more of a thing in today's society due to accessibility, especially in the field of journalism. Shirkey's writings in the book Here Comes Everybody expands on the idea of mass amateurization in journalism and argues, "In the same way you do not have to be a professional driver to drive, you no longer have to be a professional publisher to publish (Shirkey, 66)". Sharing news has gone a long way from times when newspapers and even television were the primary means of gaining news and information, times which were just very recently. The main difference in these older methods of sharing news and sharing news on social media is that while the old methods were shared by official organizations and professionals, social media sharing is shared by mainly unprofessionals and amateurs. With social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram, unprofessionals from all over the world can share information to the public instantly, whether or not the information is significant. 

          Mass amateurization can also be seen within some of the things introduced in Henry Jenkins' book Converging Media. In this book, Jenkins shared his knowledge upon children in the fan fiction culture. In chapter 5 entitled "Why Heather Can Write", Jenkins refers to a program in which children write their own fictional stories based upon and around J.K. Rowling's ever-popular Harry Potter series. Jenkins stated, "For many kids, the profile is all they would write-- having a self within the fiction was enough to satisfy the needs that brought them to the site (Jenkins, 173)". Fan fiction is a good way to get childrens' imaginations going, and although amateur at the time, the fan fiction exercises may spark interests in the children, possibly inspiring them to turn their amateur writing hobby into a professional career.

          Media publishing and consumption have greatly improved in recent years due to the mass amateurization of journalism. Bloggers, amateur photographers, and basically anyone with a smartphone and a social media account are able to now report or share news and media to masses of people within seconds. A prime example of this was seen on January 15^th, 2009, when an airplane emergency crash-landed into the Hudson River, an event in which there were no casualties, also known as "Miracle on the Hudson." Professional journalists from New York and New Jersey rushed to the scene, reporting all that they could as accurate and quick as they possibly could. Through the use of the iPhone and social media however, the primary image that was being shared through news broadcasts and social media outlets was taken through a non-journalist’s iPhone lens. 

          The future of the media professional is slowly getting blurred with the amateurs. Shirkey and Jenkins' writings suggest this shift in the professionals' future. Nowadays, it's easy for an amateur to post something, whether it be an article, video, image, and gain the amount of publicity as if it were posted by a professional. Bloggers, among others, have access to an audience who may not be reached by professional news organizations. Although sharing information is easier now with the use of the internet and social media, over time, it will become more and more difficult for professionals using media, since amateurs will be doing some of the jobs professionals are expected to do, such as be one of the first to break big news, or even create a good video upon a certain subject. People who are journalists, photographers, videographers, and other related professions may take a hit as time goes on due to non-professionals being scattered in the field. However, this could also be a good opportunity for authors/storytellers, journalists, and producers to perfect their crafts to separate themselves from amateurs, while also inspiring amateurs who do plan on taking up the profession professionally in the future. 

Works Cited

[1] Shirky, Clay. Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations.                                           New York:  Penguin, 2008. Print. 

[2] Jenkins, Henry. "Why Heather Can Write." Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media 
            Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006. 173. Print.