Continuing the Conversation

Below are excerts from the chat conversation among viewers during the live stream of our March 4, 2011, Media Council Dialogue, The Fourth Estate in a Digital Democracy. Weigh in at the bottom of this page and continue the conversation.

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[09:52] Duki: Facebook is redefining the essence of what is news.

[09:53] Contadino: David Kirkpatirck is spot on - one of the few people in the room who seems to understand the importance of social media

[09:54] mediaguy89: People won't be MORE interested in foreign news because it's more accessible

[09:54] Contadino: Agree with you mediaguy

 

[09:55] HurlingTheDork: Can Tweets make good quotes for a news article?

[09:56] Contadino: Properly sourced, why not?

[09:57] HurlingTheDork: People can make up Twitter accounts with fake names. There's no accountability.

[09:58] Duki: Yes, if they are checked they can be source for the story. And not only for the breaking news.

[09:58] mediaguy89: Mainstream media feels threatened by social media, for the main part. They're losing authority.

[10:00] HurlingTheDork: Duki- I guess if half a million people tweet the same thing, it becomes fact.

 

[10:02] Duki: The information distributed via social media can lead you to new stories, but as well can show wrong direction for stories.

[10:02] Duki: It is important to check the info. But I like receiving news via social media

[10:03] mediaguy89: I used to like getting my news first from Jon Stewart.

[10:03] mediaguy89: Now I guess for college kids it's social media?

 

[10:08] KenFromChicago: If journalists are NOT the ones bringing the news, then what are "journalists"?

[10:09] mediaguy89: conduits

[10:09] Amandyke: I would say that a journalist is meant to document events.

[10:09] KenFromChicago: "Document" is another word for reporting the news to people.

[10:09] Amandyke: In such a way that it is factual and sufficiently accurate to be kept as a verifiable record for an event.

[10:10] HurlingTheDork: There's a difference between a scribe and someone who interprets the important pieces.

[10:10] Amandyke: Journalists are the scribes of our time.

[10:11] KenFromChicago: If you just want "documentation" then you just need a camera or audio recorder or voice2text machines.

[10:11] Amandyke: Documentation does not necessarily mean verbatim.

[10:11] mediaguy89: So he's saying minority news is bad!?

[10:11] mediaguy89: please

 

[10:17] Amandyke: The internet shut down was a government decision not a company decision. Even the US has a kill switch.

[10:18] HurlingTheDork: I wonder when/if the US will ever use the switch. Hopefully not.

[10:19] KenFromChicago: Twitter is not the only form online communication. Plus twitter feeds can link to longer form discussions.

 

[10:21] Duki: Every reporter should try to inform and not to predict.

[10:24] KenFromChicago: Yeah, it's one thing to report on what people PLAN to do, another to declare what people will do or what will happen.

 

[10:24] Duki: Susan King: Young people are the best protectors

[10:26] KenFromChicago: Not always, the young can be distracted and can lack experience of various pitfalls that have existed throughout history.

[10:26] marcymcginnis: Often they lack context

[10:26] KenFromChicago: Not that old people can't be distracted or be in denial of the same old mistakes.

[10:27] Duki: if guided properly they can create good news and combine journalism and new media approach.

[10:27] Duki: I would say experienced, not old

[10:27] KenFromChicago: But with age comes an increased likelihood of experience relevant to the current situation.

 

[10:31] KenFromChicago: This discussion reminds me of the discussions PBS used to broadcast in the 1980s about ethics in media, politics, business and the military.

 

[10:48] Duki: Responsibility is one of the biggest challenges of social media.

 

[10:50] Duki: Media should be aware that the concept of leadership, politics is dramatically changed.

[10:51] mediaguy89: Obama was supposed to be different because he used social media, but people feel like they got tricked.

 

[10:52] APerrault: Do people "trust" Twitter and Facebook? Has that been covered?

[10:53] mediaguy89: I don't think there's been talk of trust in the medium.

[10:57] Duki: Arizona Daily Star published twitter comments after shooting in Tucson.