Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Jeff Jarvis on The Future of Digital Media:

Jarvis' First Law of Media: Give the people control of media, they will use it. The corollary: Don't give the people control of media, and you will lose.

Whenever citizens can exercise control, they will. Today they are challenging and changing media -- where bloggers now fact-check Dan Rather's ass -- but tomorrow they will challenge and change politics, government, marketing, and education as well. This isn't just a media revolution, though that's where we are seeing the impact first. This is a chain-reaction of revolutions. It has just begun.

Extreme, and premature, perhaps. Utopian, even. But potent all the same.

The article, first in a two-month series, is set up like a blog. The comments are A-list-dominated, the prospect of adding to the fray as indimidating as those trite, tight prose pieces on the New York Times Letters page. Does social awareness of Shirky's Law dampen realization of Jarvis' First Law? Is A-list status self-perpetuating, an attentive oligarchy? Do I dare to eat a peach?

I sat next to Jeff Jarvis at Jay Rosen's session on Blogs and Journalism at last year's Bloggercon. Couldn't justify the long trip to Bloggercon III: Destination California this year, though. Bummer, dude.

posted by boyhowdy | 11:16 PM |

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