Anthony Barnett (London, OK): I'm attending a crowded symposium at Goldsmiths on the future of the news including blogs. The first public event of a five year new media research project, I'm on its advisory board. There was a dramatic opening presentation from James Curran who documented how for over 25 years now everyone's predictions had been proved wrong. So far all the speakers are saying that everything is changing very fast, yet is still strangely the same, and no one is sure how it will end it up. "They are arguing for a change in the mind-set but do not know what it should be", Tamara Witschge has just told us. Peter Lee-Wright asked if the large numbers of readers/visitors claimed by the newspaper sites and the BBC are really theirs, especially if they come via search engines and other sources. Earlier in the day Anne Spackman who moved from being Managing Editor of the Times to become Editor-in-Chief of Times Online observed that everyone seems to think this is a demotion - a fact she felt shows how it is the old media that still holds the brand value. She also added that for the first time in her life, she wants to know what the latest academic research is discovering.
One issue that came up at the first advisory board was should the project close its arguments to the public until it can publish them in a book, or should the results and investigations be put up on the web in the process of the research? Once asked the question is what the Americans call a "no brainer".
Next session, just over: Paul Staines, aka Guido Fawks, Nicholas Jones once of the BBC, Alex Hilton of Recess Monkey and Michael White of the Guardian. Very enjoyable. The press will be pixillated, newsrooms will survive, but not opinionators, videos are better than words and, in the age of phones, everyone can do documentaries, Staines said in a confident presentation. Nicholas Jones was alarmed. Ofcom has walked away from regulating video TV which along with blogs will be bought by the corporations ("Guido Fox" quipped Alex).
Alex the recess monkey then tried to persuade us that he is just a poor boy with a database. This did not convince. In the audience John Kean was riled. What you are doing, he suggested "is a form of decadence", it’s a mixing of money and insider talk that further encourages the public to turn away from politics. Fine, countered Staines, "I hate politicians".
I objected from the back that Guido too is a politician. Michael White then defended him at least in a narrow sense, and expressed his pity for the mortification of those who seek and hold public office.
Alex defended his blog-role. "I’m not a public service. I’m just a writer but I am doing something to narrow the gap and on balance what I am doing is good". What we may need, he added later, is to teach digital media literacy now that every child of 5 can be their own publisher. Staines was not moved. "I don't care", he told one of the last questioners, "I'm doing it for myself. I’m not doing it for the good of society". Or as Rupert Murdoch said, it's just entertainment.
