Yesterday I went to the last Oakland Speaker Series to hear Ted Koppel speak. I missed a lot of the lectures this year because my monthly meetings happen during the first Tuesday of every month. I am glad I made it yesterday and it is the journalist versus new media debate. It is interesting that every speaker I've heard this year has a message for the American public. And I bet that I will be criticized for writing this blog post as I am not a professional journalist :-) These are just my ramblings anyhow. And my dream of being a journalist never materialized so I am grateful to social media.
Ted Koppel started with his Epstein Fart story, which made everyone laugh and I think was simply an icebreaker to connect with the packed theatre. I am not quite sure how it otherwise related to his talk. He is a fantastic speaker and I can listen to his voice for hours. I was also impressed with how great he looks. I learned that his parents fled Nazi Germany and that he became an American citizen in 1963.
What did Ted Koppel share?
His main theme was that the changes we have witnessed in Television news are both technological and economical. Journalists, in the past, were obligated to put news into context and provide analysis. What the public received was information with importance based on events. Today, this has shifted to the news media need to "being first" with a story. Being most recent has become more significant than "important" news.
According to Koppel, one of the worst developments for news happened in 1968 with 60 Minutes. Why? Because it made money and shifted the economic model of network news. Now, TV news was expected to make a profit. In the past, the news department would get a fixed budget that it needed to work within. "It allowed us the freedom to serve a purpose."
"They gave the news division a few million dollars a year and said, here it is. Go do whatever it is you people do, and do not come back for any more money." But during the 1970s, when CBS's "60 Minutes" showed that a news division could rake in big bucks, ABC began itching to broaden its news coverage.
ABC wanted to expand the evening news program to one hour, Koppel said, but the network's affiliates were making too much money to give back the time slot. What he valued about the pre-60 Minutes days is that when he was working for a major news outlet, there was always a producer or editor who checked his work to make sure the facts were right. This is not the case with most citizen journalists who publish their un-vetted work online. "In the final analysis," Koppel said, "the most important thing about journalism is editing."
So What Really Changed?
Journalists, according to Koppel, gave us the kind of news they felt the public needed. There used to be a feeling of mission. The tech explosion also changed the face of news. There is no government regulations with bloggers. What we are getting is Tiger Woods and frivolous information, as long as we are first to report it.
Ted Koppel asked the audience: why are we in Afghanistan? Someone from the audience, yelled "oil." His point was well taken, it's not about what the media has been communicating. Most people are unaware of the geographical positioning of Afghanistan and its proximity to the nuclear challenge and associate the US presence solely on the terrorist threat.
In 20 years, the US will be faced with a $34 trillion deficit. All entitlements will come due. We live in a country where we are all entitled to housing and a mortgage. And we have lived beyond our capabilities. According to Koppel. 34% of Americans believe the Bush administration knew about 9/11.
"Fox is doing brilliantly giving an echo chamber effect. We all need to listen to what's going on in this country and opposing views. What is being preached are hateful disgusting messages on the right and left. There are no accountabilities any more."
There is less interest in reporting today and more focus on keeping the public entertained. "Don't be surprised if Sarah Palin runs in the next elections and even becomes President." The medium is allowing the voices of the fringe and extremists to take centre stage. Koppel would like us to be aware of what Fox is showing so we can speak out. "NPR has good news stories. It is linked to the facts and the truth." Support the news organizations that still care about the core of journalism.
So What's My Reaction as A Citizen Journalist (couldn't resist)?
I wrote my Master's thesis on the impact of television on the American political system so listening to Ted Koppel firsthand was a gift. I agree with much of what he said as the commercialization of the news did put into question the authenticity of the news. It drives me crazy when CNN tells us that "they were first on the story." And when no one still knew about Twitter, CNN would report on what was going on Twitter. I found this absolutely ridiculous. I can go on my own directly on Twitter and what I was finding that I usually knew about what was going on (Iran, earthquakes, crashes in the Hudson, etc.) on Twitter. Not only because of other citizens of the world but because I also follow NPR, BBC, WSJ and other sources I find "trustworthy."
It's not an either or. It's a combination. The internet is not evil. It is just a reflection of the world in which we live. What does not change is human behavior. Hitler rose to power, not because of the Internet. Sarah Palin knows how to work public opinion and human behavior. Extremists have existed for generations and quite frankly, throughout history. The fringes on both sides of the equation are not a US occurrence. It is worldwide and it is deepening and scary.
Social media is not to blame. We've shifted from a patriach model of getting information from the church and government to news outlets. And now, citizens have a voice. It brings the good and bad of humanity into the open. Is that all bad?
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.