Is journalism news or is it community? Is the NYT competing with Facebook?
These are two related—but different—questions. Jeff Jarvis today ponders the role of the news media in communities:
But I argued that the real question is, what is the role of the journalistic institution in its community? Is it merely to inform or is it also to organize (which, not coincidentally, is the advice of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg: bring your community elegant organization)?
I agree with Jarvis’s challenge (and with Zuckerberg), there is a key element of community organization that goes into a newspaper, especially those that are focused more locally than nationally. There’s an element of that in magazines, too (Goings On in the New Yorker?).
Is Journalism news or is it community?
It’s both (cop out!). But the larger point is that it includes an element of community. Up until recently, writing a good letter to the editor was one of the better ways to make your opinion heard locally. Now…why not blog it or put it on Facebook?
Which brings us to Is the NYT competing with Facebook?
Yes. The same way they’re competing with craigslist. A lot of the community functions that, up until five or ten years ago, were best provided by newspapers are quickly being replaced by online functionality, that is free, interactive, and often shiny. And we as a species love shiny objects.
This may be one of the reasons that newspapers are finding themselves in so much trouble; maybe just reporting the news isn’t enough to give life to a paper. Maybe there needs to be a real sense of community.
Side question: Are newspapers screwed?
My answer: No.
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Yes, they are competing. It’s interesting because I see PR people flailing (especially old-guard ones) and having difficulty with the transition to new media coupled with the overall hard truth that print isn’t as influencial as it used to be. As print newspapers scramble for readers, why would you concentrate all your PR energies (i.e. money) on getting a typical reporter’s attention?
From a PR side it’s the daring fact that “public relations” had long moved away from trying to directly relate to the public; lunches, pitches, faxes and favors made up the typical flac’s operations. New media, social networking, viral marketing has turned that on it’s head. Why go through the shrinking middleman to get to the public now?
So in that way, sure the NYT is competing with Facebook– but it’s only about eyeballs on a low level. On a high level what it’s competing with and for is the average person that can talk back. It’s like we all have our own column (blogs), our own news briefs (Twitter), our own ads (FB)…
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