Almost everyday, I find myself keeping up with current events by checking twitter. A majority of the content I view is reported by unprofessionals such as myself. Whether it’s the hilarious captions and memes that serve as social commentary, or the relatable remarks made by conscious youngsters, social media serves as an efficient news outlet to me. The essence of this phenomenon upholds the question: can this type of amateur reporting take over the fields of real journalism and news? Clay Shirky addresses this question in “Everyone is a Media Outlet,” by applying the term “mass amateurization” to describe the effects of ubiquitous media accessibility amongst the population. The convenience of always having a camera or an outlet to express oneself to a mass audience allows individuals to capture images, videos and moments that ultimately possess great power.
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| Viral tweet of a girl reporting the activism displayed at her school |
On the contrary, traditional publishing has historically embedded a consistent and formulaic approach. Shirky describes this by expressing, “In the case of newspapers, professional behavior is guided by both the commercial imperative and by an additional set of norms about what newspapers are, how they should be staffed and run, what constitutes good journalism, and so forth. The norms are enforced not by the customers but by other professionals in the same business” (Shirky 57). Here, Shirky pinpoints the problem correlated with old methods of publishing. In a world with rapid technological advancements that are highly accessible, people are able to chose what they want to be informed about. Professional content distributed by successful corporations often abides to strict guidelines dictating what can and can’t be reported. Now that the general public is given the opportunity to capture and report whatever they please, gatekeepers simply do not exist.
Consequently, the power of reporting compelling substance is now in everyones’ hand. This contemporary form of amateur reporting has drawn attention across the globe to issues such as the police brutality against innocent African Americans, the abuse of blameless Palestinian victims in the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the agonizing journey of Syrian refugees. In addition to focusing on these detrimental issues, mass amateurization has allowed people to celebrate, empathize, and value the different experiences and cultures that make our world so unique. A perfect example of this is Humans Of New York, which began as a blog, then featured a popular Instagram page with over 6 million followers, and has now turned into two bestselling books, “Humans of New York” and “Humans of New York: Stories.” What started off with Brandon Stanton, a photographer and blogger, taking portraits of random subjects along with quotes and short stories from their lives, became an enchanting project expanding to twenty different countries. Moreover, media accessibility demands the public to question what deserves their attention and when it deserves their attention. Shirky reiterates, “old stories are never revisited without a new angle—what kept the story alive was not the press but liberal and conservative bloggers” (Shirky 62). People are now able to draw their own conclusions by applying historical movements to self reported current events.
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| Cover of the book "Humans of New York" |
Similarly, Henry Jenkins explores a different type of amateurization known as fan fiction in “Why Heather Can Write.” Jenkins focuses on the abundant forms of participation present for consumers to expand on, or generate new material from already existing content. He exemplifies this sensation by introducing The Daily Prophet, designed by Heather Lawver, a web-based school newspaper for the fictional academy known as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series. Here, the astonishing effects of amateurization and participation amounted to “a girl who hadn’t been in school since first grade leading a worldwide staff of student writers with no adult supervision to publish a school newspaper for a school that existed in only in their imaginations” (Jenkins 179). Today, almost every popular movie, TV show and book is followed by a fan fiction. Not only does this type of participation generate interconnectivity between fans of the same content, but it also forces producers to recognize the likes and dislikes of their audience, ultimately allowing them to improve and innovate their original ideas. Participation amongst amateurs even attains the opportunity to create new content, which in some cases becomes professional. For example, the bestseller turned into movie, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” by Seth Grahame- Smith, converges a classic novel by Jane Austen with a modern zombie fiction.
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| Fan art incorporating the original novel with the new fan fiction |
The possibilities of mass amateurization are endless. Although it poses a threat to journalism, it encourages traditional professionals to adapt to their new and improved environment. Essentially, writers, publishers and producers will have to incorporate new and unique styles of creating and releasing content that involves interaction amongst the audience. The rules and guidelines that were once embedded into media outlets are now obsolete. Mass amateurization pushes the boundaries and creates new heights for all forms of expression, now that everyone can do it, who will stand out?
Works Cited
Jenkins, Henry. "Why Heather Can Write." Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media
Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006. 173. Print.
Shirky, Clay. Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations. New York: Penguin, 2008. Print.
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