What is Media Entrepreneurship? — Week 1 Reflection
As I read through the readings for the week, I couldn’t help but think of the history of the spreading of information and how it had to adapt to the different circumstances it was placed in throughout history. When the printing press came about, news was more widespread and more people could be informed of the happenings around them. When technology came out, anyone, regardless of their background, could write anything and it could be shared with a plethora of people. When social media came out, it seemed to bring about this wave of disinformation that could disseminate faster than ever before.
In “Ecosystem 3 White Paper,” one of my biggest takeaways was the sheer amount of power the tech giants have right now. While this was no secret, and we all know that they are largely in charge of what information gets spread within their own platforms, it is still fascinating to read about.
However, what surprised me, though it most likely shouldn’t have, was the Google example discussed in the reading. The Google tool that shows you the answers to the questions you lookup has always been, in my eyes, a handy tool that I was glad they added. It saved me a lot of time and energy searching through numerous articles to get information. Little did I know, that tool has put hardworking and deserving people out of business.
The two readings, “Journalists-Turned-Entrepreneurs on How They Built Their Businesses” and “Thinking as an Entrepreneurial Journalist,” really showed the promise of journalists today and proved that their skills go beyond just publications. I think that we all know something is severely lacking and has been for a while now in our profession. With organizations losing more and more money and social media taking over, something had to change. It was apparent that those who were hurt, the journalists, were the ones taking charge and trying to find alternative ways to do what they love and do it well.
It was so interesting to read of these ideas, because, at least to me, I think that is what the world needs. The journalists being the writers while also creating a way to communicate the news and their thoughts that work for them and for the people consuming it.
Finally, “Content is King,” reminded me of a lot of the book we read in Internet Culture, “The Cluetrain Manifesto.” I think there are many parallels between the two readings. First, there is a great analysis of the current climate and function of the internet. This analysis made it possible for both books to accurately predict the future of technology and the internet.
I believe that there is a lot to be said about Bill Gate’s writing. However, I think we can see the impact of his words by realizing that “Content is King” has become a phrase used in everyday language, especially in the industry we find ourselves in.
