What We Call the News
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Funny Jokes at JibJab Every time I see
this news spoof, I can't stop laughing. Of course the content in
the video is somewhat controversial, which makes it a great topic of conversation. In fact, I find myself increasingly asking people what it is about television news that they don't like. (To be fair, most of my friends and acquaintances are hooked on the Internet, so they routinely have the same answer...insert "TV news is dead.")
I'm pleasantly stuck a world where
I'm straddling TV news and the Internet. And like a good web geek, I tend cover content that the online audience appreciates (mostly because I think I understand the online audience much more than the TV news audience, so naturally I default to catering to YOU - oh yes, and I also have an insatiable love for the web community as I believe we all encourage context, content, and transparency in everything that we consume online - we don't always succeed, but we aim high).
What strikes me as most interesting in 2007 is the growing divide between the TV news audience and the Internet audience, and how there is very little conversation about how to bridge this gap. I do see a few broadcasters who are departing from the traditional TV news model to be more inclusive of the "YouTube generation," such as
America's Jon Stewart from The Daily Show and
Canada's George Stroumboulopoulos from The Hour. At Citytv, a (very) small team of us are trying to do the same on
our half-hour show Webnation (a labour of love that we squeeze into our busy days).
To stick to the theme of transparency, this post is simply a long-winded way of me wanting to open up some type of dialogue and ask YOU what it is about TV news that you do/don't like insofar as context, content, and tone. I am naturally curious and truly believe that ALL media organizations should encourage conversation with the audience they are trying to reach vs. living in increasingly fragile little news bubbles.
If you feel like it, post a comment here. If you don't feel like it, then enjoy your weekend ;).
P.S. My fave Internet guy Leo Laporte is at his 30th high school reunion this weekend, so there will be no
net@nite Sunday - but we are back on track the following Sunday (June 10th with
Boing Boing's co-founder Mark Frauenfelder who runs
my fave blog).
Ah, yes, the iPhone mania begins. The best thing about Vulkan's perseverance is that he plans to auction off his new toy for a great cause, Keep a Child Alive.
