Our own Aaron Hockley has long held strong opinions about the flaws in today’s traditional media models. But rather than just criticize, Aaron suggested a way we might come together to discuss needed changes when he wrote this blog post a few weeks ago: Journalism and Media: Let’s Discuss Changes at BarCampPortland.
Do click through to read his analysis, but the key paragraph is this one, in my opinion:
As the news industry faces radical changes and many traditional news operations face financial peril, it is obvious that journalists need to adapt or die. I think the distinction between the work of journalists and the method of delivery needs to be recognized… journalism and newspapers (or TV) are two separate things, and the failure of the delivery mechanism does not mean that journalism itself is a failure.
Rick Turoczy picked up on Aaron’s post and agreed to co-facilitate a session, suggesting this – BarCamp Portland: Proposed Adopt a Blogger/Adopt a Journalist session. Rick’s conclusion?
Long story short, journalists and bloggers have a great deal to learn from one another, so why don’t we?
The session’s now been scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd at 10 am – and it promises to have some smart people in the room from both camps (side note: I’ve been on both sides of the fence & have been instructed to bring my old media schwag — if I can still find it, that is — to prove my ’street cred.’ Have been told that the old ancient Village Voice onesie both kids once wore back in the day just won’t cut it, though…!)
Should be a barn-burner, right? Well, hold on to your hats, media mavens.
Hot on the heels of today’s announcement that the Vancouver-based Columbian has filed for bankruptcy, 3 Columbian employees proposed this BarCamp topic: “You run a daily newspaper. How do you escape the carnage?” After a bit of schedule finessing, this session now run right afterward at 11 am in the very same room at CubeSpace.
So if you, too, want to be part of helping media merge from ‘old’ media & ‘new’ media into just plain media — news and information for citizens of the 21st century, that is — why not join us?
And once you’re there, why not stick around? (Click here to see the rest of the BarCamp Portland Schedule.)
Surely we all have things to learn from one another, no? And that’s what BarCamp is all about: sharing what you know.
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