J. THOMAS ROGERS: Hard Times For Headlines

16 July 2010

The Heartbeat:

A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER

It is the worst time to launch a news publication...or it is the best. The global financial crisis is far from over. Many prestigious news agencies struggle to stay in the black. In addition, the audiences for news media productions are more distracted and alienated than ever. Could any worthwhile news production begin in this environment?

On the other hand, media production costs have plummeted. High-definition video cameras are affordable for many consumers. Broadband and mobile internet service providers make it possible to transmit video, audio, photos or text worldwide for a fraction of the cost of broadcast or print media. Smart phones and even many lesser handsets can capture photos, video and audio. At the very least modern phones can send text messages that can be forwarded internationally. The technical requirements are so accessible, nearly anyone could give "citizen journalism" a try.

But will real news production begin in this environment? Not until we learn to recognize:

"What is news?"

We are long past the golden age of broadcast and the dominance of print media. Two decades have passed since cable news broke that mold. 6:00 and 10:00 were once the times that everyone tuned in for heavy headlines chased with weather, sports and an oddball occurrence or fluffy, heart-warmer to finish. That was the news we knew.

Then 24-hour satellite and cable news stations broke the prime-time timeframe. Network prime-time news shows lost dominance and press conferences began happening at almost any waking hour. Suddenly political addresses were not happening at press conferences. They were happening everywhere: late-night talk shows, mid-morning Oprah spots, Saturday Night Live cameos and any number of actual news shows. That was new. Was it news?

A decade later the web collided with broadcast media. Fragmented audiences began forming the majority of their opinions in "echo-chambers." Big-mouthed talk-radio, comedic "fake news," slanted newscasts and niche blogs began to divide the population by covering whatever "news" they wanted however they wanted.

Without any real news authority, the audiences divided along political fault lines. Getting the news meant hearing the message you expected from the ones you wanted to hear from. That was the new "news."

Now news is going "nano." Standard reports shrunk to become sound bites, "link-bait" blog posts and eventually "tweets."

The result of dwindling attention spans and dubious information is a pattern of circular debate. Opinions about issues rage back and forth in "flame wars" and other online debates.

But genuine understanding seems impossible during these frequent online arguements with anonymous people over constantly shifting subjects. Vanity or insanity seem like the only logical reasons for debating like this: without trust, without identity, without accountibility and without focus. News media needs discussion and diverse opinions. But If news media is going to be interactive, this dysfunctional online culture must change.

In a time of unlimited media connection we are more disconnected than ever from news media. For many people, a status update from a friend is worth more than a column like this. At least we know who that social network "friend" is. Nano news and social networking are joining together to help revive personal identity and accountability in the process of sharing news. That is the new news: short blurbs from people you know.

After looking at the news we have known over the years, and looking at our present culture of news consumption, it seems to be time for a new news.

Resonate News is one small step toward the new news. It is an effort to find answers for important questions: What if news could be fused with relationship and accountability? What if our audience and journalists venture out of the old news toward a trusted relationship that treasures integrity, diversity, dialogue and mutual respect?

That would be news, wouldn't it?

To join in pursuit of the new news, keep reading "The Heartbeat" and the rest of our featured articles here on ResonateNews.com or contribute your comments below.