Pros vs. Joes: Amateurs Can Sometimes Win

 

When Clay Shirky says “mass amateurization,” (in terms of journalism) he is referring to a large flood of amateurs that “act” as professionals because they now more than ever have the means to publish and create news. People nowadays don’t have to wait on professional news outlets to deliver news. Why? Because social media “journalists” (they aren’t really) and web bloggers can write and publish “news.” When print media, newspapers in particular, became popular, newspapers were competing with each other. They still do. However, in this age of the internet, where almost anything and everything lives online, newspapers should be less concerned with each other and more concerned (if they’re not already) with mass amateurization.  

“The principal threat to all newspapers big and small [is] not competition from other newspapers but radical changes in the overall ecosystem of information,” wrote Shirky in Everyone is a Media Outlet. “Now, though, the problems of production, reproduction, and distribution are much less serious. As a consequence, control over the media is less completely in the hands of the professionals.”

It’s as if the professionals were sidetracked by the power of the internet, and mass amateurization comes with its negative side effects. The amateurs are now making and spreading news (which can either one of two things: beneficial or catastrophic), and republishing old news that most of the time has no business reappearing. Mass amateurization is also making professional journalism less relevant.

The New York Times can say one thing, and a blogger from Minnesota can say another, and millions will believe either/or, but never both. This also contributes to the lack faith many people have in journalism, especially in western media (which deserves an entirely separate and lengthy discussion). Although, we can blame the internet to this slight shift in power (where amateurs now have louder voices than they did before), we have to put some of this blame on the profession and its professionals.

“Many people in the newspaper business...missed the significance of the internet,” said Shirky. “For people with a professional outlook, it’s hard to understand how something that isn’t professionally produced could affect them...There was a kind of a narcissistic bias in the profession; the only threats they tended to take seriously were from other professional media outlets…”

However, professional journalists are usually concerned with what other professional journalists think of them or what they are also doing, which is when this reality of mass amateurization may actually be beneficial. For example, if professionals are looking to the left, and one amateur is looking to the right… that one blogger can ultimately have the power to make everyone look their way, including the professionals. This gives professionals the chance to be unbiased.

Mass Amateurization has definitely factored into the majority of media shifting from print to online, where professional media outlets look to specifically hire specialized bloggers to work for them because audiences like it when journalists talk to them and not at them. Mass amateurization can be beneficial to professional journalists. I many ways, they can keep us on our toes. Did you fact check? Were you there? What are your sources? Etc. However, amateurs should be there to challenge professionals for the truth, not for their jobs. 

                               

With that said, what personally does not make sense to me is how many media outlets exist that are not as reliable as others, and are still in business. How professional are these “professionals?”

“Mass amateurization is a result of the radical spread of expressive capabilities,” Shirky said.

This goes beyond freedom of speech (verbal). Generally speaking, anyone can go online and write anything they want. Anyone can make a blog, make a social media account and pose as a journalist, which brings into my next concern... Facebook news (disclaimer: I am more familiar with Facebook than Twitter). EVERYONE becomes a journalist during war times, presidential elections, shootings, fires, etc. Reality and Falsehood mix together, readers begin to notice, and guess who gets blamed? Journalists. Mass amateurization is a reality. I am not denying, nor do I want it to cease to exist. I do, however, wish that there was some type of internet filter that separates the true from the false, and past occurrences from present ones.

Another disclaimer: Pros vs. Joes is a show I used to watch when I was younger. Professional athletes would compete against amateur athletes in a series of obstacles... It was fascinating, and this topic reminded me of it. Pros would not always prevail, hence the title.

Shirky, Clay. "Everyone Is a Media Outlet." Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations. New York: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Extra Credit

The themes of the exhibition, Selfie: Us and Them are the way that the artists see themselves and how the world around them see them. The projects touch on the identity of women, depression, how we have many things to fix in ourselves, and how we deal with the world around us.

The gallery is a critique of how the world sees women as well as how media affects us. One of the artworks was a television that shows the view the artists would have if she lifted her head when she waited for the bus, opposed to looking down on her phone. That shows how we have been absorbed by technology that we don’t really take time to live in the world.

One of the projects that I found interesting was by Stephanie Quispilaya. In her artwork she drew herself as a mother pig as well as her piglets.  All of the piglets had different needs and personalities. The piglets ranged from hyper to needy, to envious to sad, etc. Her piece showed how as a woman there are many aspects and responsibilities that are supposed to be met, and sometimes you are the one that needs most of the nurturing and attention. In addition she draws herself as a mother pig showing yet another expectation that women are to meet. She is address the self by making all of the pigs look like her, this way she is showing what she sees in herself. She sees all the needs and the fact that she has to fix and take care of all of them as mothers and women are expected to do.

      A second project that caught my attention was one where the artist created meme-like posters and asked her family to write

Mediha Sandhu is also an artist at the gallery, and her project caught my attention. In her video there are two sides. One is a woman that appears to be happy and fixing her hijab, while in the other she is screaming and losing her calm. This is to show how even though sometimes people show that they are all right on the outside, what may be on the inside may be completely different. The artist explained that she has suffered with depression, but on the outside she looked happy and because of this people wouldn’t believe that she was dealing with a lot more.

      These works can be activists because they show a side of women that people don’t usually take notice in and put too much pressure on. Sandhu addresses the fact that she has to deal with people not believing that she is depressed because she is typically seen as a happy person. Quispilaya address the expectation of women to be nurturing and to be mothers, but also all of the things that one has to deal with like the different aspects of our self needs and personalities.

The artists address the selfie by putting themselves in their artwork. They address identity by revealing something about themselves that is not usually seen. That is the case of both Sandhu and Quispilaya, they both put an aspect of themselves like quietly dealing with depression and the fact that there are so many demands and needs that we have to put up within ourselves.

Mass Amateurization

Mass amateurization refers to the capabilities that new forms of media have given to non-professionals and the ways in which those non-professionals have applied those capabilities to solve problems (e.g. create and distribute content) that compete with the solutions offered by larger, professional institutions. It has empowered people from all over the world.

Information sharing has thus changed over the course of years. News outlets and followers of news have found many ways to disseminate information. As the traditional news gathering changes, social media sites like twitter and Facebook have become a significant source of news for people.

 

  In ”Converging Media”, John V Pavlik, and Shawn McIntosh noted that “the increased power of the human audience members to communicate with journalists and with one another in a public forum” has posed a great challenge to the foundation of journalists. People are able to report news stories with their electronic devices and report either on social media or on their personal blogging sites. This has brought more room for photography as well as videography. Thus readers are presented with choices.

 

     

      Nontraditional news sources view themselves as content providers because they are able to put out there news stories that are sometimes accurate, fast and straight forward without commercial breaks and other business interests. As gatekeepers, they are able to control what they want to write and what they want to read. Participating in possibly social media thus allows people access to information they hitherto might not find. This is not to say that amaturization is error free since personalized stories on blogs may ignore in detail the sources of such stories or may be working with no professional ethical standards.

Works Cited

John V Pavlik, Shawn McIntosh " Converging Media; A New Introduction to Mass Communication".

   

b Trevor Turnbull, http://www.socialconnectblueprint.com/citizen-journalism-and-social-media-are-driving-the-information-revolution/ accessed on 12/15/2016

Multimedia vs Transmedia: The Walt Disney Company

Multimedia permits creators to access the choice of releasing their content through more than one medium. Whether it be through text, images, audio, video or animation, individuals can select the forums by which they choose to express their work. Alternatively, transmedia, according to Jenkins, "unfolds across multiples media platforms, with each medium making distintive contributions to our understanding of the world". These platforms are intertwined in order to further elaborate different parts of the entire story. Transmedia allows creators to generate a massive amount of consumer participation; as each different platform attracts different groups of individuals.

A prominent example of transmedia today is The Walt Disney Company. 

If a group of people were told to say the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Disney, the possible answers are seemingly endless. Their mission statement is as followed, “The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world. I would say they have definitely accomplished their mission. Through the use of multiple facets of technology, Disney has incorporated themselves into almost every aspect of our lives. Whether it be through television, movies, print media, video games, toys, and arguably most famous of all, their theme parks, Disneyland and Disneyworld.

The company is best known for the products of Walt Disney Studios, which includes the company's film, music recording label, and theatrical divisions. The list of world-known films is a long one but to name a few popular ones would be Snow White, Toy Story, and most recently Moana. The cultural impact these movies have had on our society is a big reason why they are so popular. Many movies have addressed, gender roles, race, sexuality, and classism. For fans of Disney, such as myself, I started with the books first, so as a child you read about a character and see pictures of them so of course you would want to see them in a movie.

One of the main reasons why transmedia works as a great marketing tool is that there is something within in the franchise that will resonate with everyone. Someone who may not necessarily be a fan of the movies, can get involved by playing the video game, or reading the stories. According to Henry Jenkins everyone is a participant,“Within convergence culture, everyone's a participant—although participants may have different degrees of status and influence.” 

The second division of the company is Walt Disney Parks and Resorts featuring the company's theme parks, cruise line, and other travel-related assets. It was founded in 1971, after the opening of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, joining the original Disneyland in California, which opened in 1955. In 2014, the company's theme parks hosted approximately 134 million guests, making Disney Parks the world's most visited theme park company. Walt Disney has 6 resorts and 14 theme parks worldwide. The creation of the parks was a smart move financially, what Disney fan wouldn't want to actually meet their favorite princess and take a tour of a magical castle? This platform entices consumers to not only purchase products but also to perhaps learn more about a character they met that they didn't previously know which turns into seeing a movie about them or buying a book.

The third division of the company is Disney’s Media Networks,is a business segment and primary unit of The Walt Disney Company that contains the company's various television networks, cable channels, associated production and distribution companies and owned and operated television stations. Which include but aren’t limited to ABC, Marvel and ESPN. Any millennial can tell you that Disney channel is embedded in every childhood memory they have. The actors on the show were our age and it made it seem as if we were all growing up together. Along with the website, Disney channel, although it didn't include traditional movie characters still used multiple platforms to engage the audience.

The last division of the company is Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, which produces toys, clothing, and other merchandising based upon Disney-owned properties, as well as including Disney's Internet, mobile, social media, virtual worlds, and computer games operations.

“Relatively few, if any, franchises achieve the full aesthetic potential of transmedia storytelling—yet. Media makers are still finding their way and are more than willing to let someone else take the risks.” 

Jenkins, Henry. "Searching for the Origami Unicorn." Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006. 95-134. Print.

Multimedia and Transmedia

Multimedia is a piece of content that uses a variety of media forms in itself, as a single piece of content, an example of which include 3D software applications and live software programs. PowerPoint presentations, and online encyclopedia like Wikipedia has provided variety in the way contents are carried across from media platforms.   Transmedia on the other hand refers to a story or experience that is distributed via a variety of different media channels, meaning you have multiple pieces of content out of one story an example of which includes the hit movie Star Wars.

                Multimedia has for a long time played a significant role in our society. According to Richard Wise and Jeannette Steemers of “Multimedia; Acritical Introduction,” recognizing that computers can execute commands at an enormously faster speed than any one human user, a system was designed whereby one central computer stimulates many small computers. Today such an idea has grown and has been adapted by corporate organizations and institutions as well as governments from all over the world as evidenced in the just ended American elections. And that is not all, Author Henry Jenkins in “Convergence Culture; Where Old and New Media Collide”, observes that “the 2004 campaign was a period of innovation and experimentation in the use of new media technologies and popular-culture based strategies”. This was also evidenced in the historic 2008 election as President Obama and his team used multimedia to organize grassroots and the election base in the remotest parts of the country. Multimedia thus served as a platform for interaction, collaboration and incorporation.

Above, media is used to exhibit in detail the margins in the historic 2008 elections.

Credit: Karl Munchausen

                Modern Technology has shaped the way we distribute channels and contents. It has allowed adaptation, translation and transformation of contents from one end to the other and still fulfill same or similar purposes from politics, entertainment, music and more.  It is important to note that multimedia and transmedia sometimes works hand in hand. For example as noted by Jenkins, political candidates may build their base on the internet but they need television to win elections.

Citations

Henry Jenkins, “Convergence Culture; Where Old and New Media Collide”. New York University Press, 2008.

Richard Wise, Jeanette Steemer, “Multimedia: A Critical Introduction” Routledge 2002

Karl Munchausen, http://prevarication.net/2010/06/how-demo-crats-are-hijacking-america/

Mass Amateurization

Prior to the World Wide Web, the public received information in three main ways, newspapers, television or radio. The public trusted these professionals to provide them with breaking news that was both informative and trustworthy. But the way the world consumes information in this day and age not only threatens traditional print media but also the professionals that fed us the news. The definition of a journalist is not as concrete as it once was, and the credentials of what is considered newsworthy or news at all is also changing. In this new era of mass amateurization, defined as the capabilities that new forms of media have given to non-professionals and the ways in which those non-professionals have applied those capabilities to solve problems (e.g. create and distribute content) that compete with the solutions offered by larger, professional institutions. Shirky states, " “From now on news can break into public consciousness without the traditional press weighing in” (64-65). Anyone can be a journalist, anyone can be a publisher. But the question becomes, what standards can now be put in place for the news? There are no Internet "professionals" so no one can control the content that is publisher nor can anyone preside over what news is actually important and no one can filter the good from the bad.

The first example that comes to mind is photography. These days anyone with a camera and a good filter perceives themselves to be the next Ansel Adams. Shirky states that professional, "learns things in a way that differentiates her from most of the populace, and she pays as much or more attention to the judgement of her peers as to the judgement of her customers when figuring out how to do her job" (58). This definition is important because most amateurs whether it be in the form of photography or writing or sports look to their peers for acceptance and judgement. But true professionals look to other who have honed their craft and have years of study and experience under their belt to judge their work. As Shirky states, "Mass amateurization is the result of the radical spread of expressive capabilities" (66). With the use of apps such as Instagram, Snapseed, and VSCO, the average Joe can take gasp worthy photos. 

Although mass amateurization has caused a major shift in how news is both generated and consumed in some would say a negative way, there are some advantages. Citizen journalism has captured and highlighted many events that traditional professionals have either overlooked or in some cases just don't have access to. In recent years many events of police brutality against people of color have been taped by innocent bystanders and although the videos have caused outraged, they have sparked a movement, Black Lives Matter. This seemingly amateur type of news has provided culpability in the police force and has also been used as evidence in court. On the other hand there are countless news stories that are written by non-professionals that are false. Shirky states, "Much of the time the internal consistency of professional judgment is a good thing- not only do we want those standards of education and competence…”(58). The public wants news from people that know what they are talking about, that are educated, reliable, trustworthy, and in the know. Professional journalist endure years of schooling and have to start at the bottom of the publishing world and through hard work finally reach the top. Some guy sitting on his couch, tweeting about the current president-elect isn't a reliable source of information. 

"As Scott Bradner, a former trustee of the Internet Society , puts it, The Internet means you don't have to convince anyone else that something is a good idea before trying it" (77). With this information in mind, future generations have to be more critical of both citizen journalism and professional news. The public has to be more particular about what news they consume and more importantly what publications they place their trust in. In the future the public has to become more accountable with mass amateurization, false new sites need to be called out, major publications have to be held to a higher standard due to the fact that anyone can publish anything. Newspapers such as the New York Times and The Post need to set a standard for news and not succumb to the pressures of the 24 hour news cycle and the mindset that publications just have to be first to break news rather then be right.  

Work Cited: 
Shirky, Clay. "Everyone Is a Media Outlet." Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations. New York: Penguin, 2008. N. pag. Print.

Mass Amateurization- Hamna Saleem

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Traditional media and news printing are currently in the midst of a culture shock. The way in which news is transmitted has changed drastically and they means in which is consumed is as well. This era of Mass Amateurization, has caused for traditional news platforms to panic and rush to catch up. The definition of journalism has drastically changed as well. What defines journalism and what is the standard if everyone has the ability to report? Shriky states, “From now on news can break into public consciousness without the traditional press weighing in” (64-65). The standard for news has changed, and some argue has become of lesser quality due the lack of checks and balances that Mass Amateurization brings.           

            With this shift in dynamic, traditional media is set off guard but this is nothing something that they shouldn’t have let get a head of them. In some regard, traditional media panic and urgency is their own fault of not tracking the trend and shift to digital platforms gaining more and more popularity. The neglect and almost cocky attitude towards Mass Amaterization placed them in this position. However there is a current shift than from the culture of news than from when Mass Amateurization first came about, audiences are now starting to look and search for more reliability in what they are consuming.

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  The ideology and acceptance of citizen reporting is shifting, although technology today has allowed for us to capture more pivotal moments and injustices, such as the Arab Spring and Police Brutality through live coverage. But it also raised the questions for all these online new sources, who have taken away from the professional and have self-proclaimed themselves as scholars as to how reliable are they. Shirky states, “Much of the time the internal consistency of professional judgment is a good thing- not only do we want those standards of education and competence…”(58) This has been lost in the digital age, in a time when anyone can post anything at anytime. Due to this the content quality has gone down. People are more and more preoccupied to know what the Kardashians are doing rather than stand up and advocate for human rights.

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            However, with the new wave a journalist whom have grown up with the growth of the digital age there is a better understanding of what content really matters. How click bait news, isn’t really actual news it more of hits and revenue. This upcoming generation has the chance to change the way Mass Amateurization has taken over. We have seen both the good and bad, the credible and not so credible sources and outlets that the Internet has to offer. We have been taught by the professionals to understand what is content and quality content. To have a better judgment when it comes to what is a story and what is not. To walk away from being opinionated and be more factual in our stories.

            Also, in light of the recent election, it has really woken people up to understand that we cannot just consume anything anymore. That we must become more critical of our media that our biases can no longer be presented in what we produce.

Work Cited: 
Shirky, Clay. "Everyone Is a Media Outlet." Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing without Organizations. New York: Penguin, 2008. N. pag. Print.