Contribution counts for more than credentials. When you post a video to YouTube, no one asks you if you went to film school. When you write a blog, no one cares whether you have a journalism degree. Position, title, and academic degrees—none of the usual status differentiators carry much weight online. On the Web, what counts is not your resume, but what you can contribute.
What luxury and power we have now - immediate access to the general public. Still the desire to compete for an audience on the printed page exists. We are still finding value in the newspaper despite recent public discussion regarding it's inevitable demise. Even as we mourn the loss of an organized representation of our democratic voice in paper form, there is hope. Will the big newspaper names continue to dominate in electronic media forms maintaining a prominent place in public opinion? After viewing the commentary this last sunday morning by Josh Landis and Mitch Butler on CBS, it sounds as though history is continuing to repeat itself. According to Landis and Butler, during the time of Benjamin Franklin, there were reporters called "pamphleteers", circulating papers similar to blogs. These beginning newspapers even contained their own pages in the back devoted to individual commentary similar to the posting we do in the context of a blog, Watch CBS Videos Online.
It will be fascinating to see how our our information sources evolve and emerge. What will be the next "New York Times"? Will it be the Times? The Post? The Tribune? Or will there be a news organization rising to the top of our Bookmark list without the credentials of the New York Times but just as valid a voice?
Even though Will Richardson has established himself as a reputable voice in the blogoshere, his commentary stems from a well-respected newspaper. Gary Hamel may say it does not matter what the credentials are of the voice. Yet, in this instance the vehicle of the Wall Street Journal still holds the prowess of verbal power today.
1 comment:
Great post!
The best part if point of view. Yes, I know newspapers are supposed to be unbiased.
However, letting students and others read things from multiple perspectives lets them more easily form their own thoughts.
In terms of teachers...who needs experts. We don't need outsiders coming into my school/district and telling us how to teach our kids.
Let's all blog, share on Twitter, and use the best practices that we know work with our students.
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