A colleague of mine brought to my attention the latest example of media convergence: YouTube is collecting video submissions from consumers for use on major mainstream news outlets. It's amazing how quickly we've gone from mainstream media organizations complaining that people who publish YouTube videos and write blog posts can't be trusted because OMG they're not journalists, to co-opting that same content from those same people for themselves.
And seeing how more and more media organizations are ready to sue you if you link to their content, I’m wondering how long it will take for some organization to take something off YouTube and then try to keep others from using it.
And while so much of what you find on the web is garbage, I challenge you to watch cable news for 24 hours and resist the urge to throw something at the television. And I’m NOT trying to be flip. I’m completely convinced people flock to the web for information because what you see on television is absolute crap.
Cable news’ it-girl right now devotes shows to the “socialist imagery” on the walls of Rockefeller Center, spins conspiracy theories on a chalk board highlighting the way words are spelled, and is given to intermittent fits of crying on the air. Fifteen years ago we’d have put him in a mental facility and he’d be the subject of Grand Rounds. Today he’s on prime time.
Flip the channel and you will see Octo-mom explaining to Miss Teen South Carolina where babies come from.
Is it me?
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