Dear future blogosphere citizens,
I am speaking to you from the realm known as new media. The place moves fast, very fast and it is also is vast, quite vast. When Captain Kirk said he wanted to boldly go where no man has gone before, he must've ended up in the galaxy of new media. Even though new media is large and almost quite intimidating, it is also one of the most user friendly, dynamic platforms we have ever seen. In this world you are about to venture out to, there are so many applications that allow for the user to be interactive and generate their own content. So many people have the power to now broadcast anything and everything from newscasts to podcasts, but with great power comes great responsibility. Here are a few words of advice on how to handle this brave new world:
Being a new media writer means you need to be both immediate and dynamic
As opposed to the old days of the newspaper (Pre-internet) in which the stream of information and breaking news had about a 24-hour shelf life, everything in the world of new media has a window that lasts anywhere from minutes to hours. Information is constantly being uploaded/downloaded and applications such as Twitter, Blogger, Tumblr, YouTube, and Facebook statuses allow users to break any sort of information at the click of a mouse. As an aspiring new media writer, it is important to always keep track of what is going on. Keep in mind that if you have any followers who subscribe to the information you upload, it is important to update them quickly because they are constantly consuming your product. Another important tip is to be brief in your posts. With the rise of new media, there has also been a decrease in this generation's attention span, therefore short posts that get right to the point are always best. In fact, it is so vital to be brief, Twitter, puts a 140 character cap on updates because they know how pivotal it is to get information out quickly.
As important it is to be quick and immediate with the uploading of information, it is equally vital to be dynamic and quickly adapt to the ever-changing media landscape. In the case of new media, change is always happening and some applications have a shelf-life as quick as the information that is being uploaded. For example, MySpace came and went, e-mail is starting to become obsolete, and some people are starting to think Facebook (the darling of the new media world) is too clunky. Right now, Twitter is the buzz word and it is also the main application being consumed in new media. As a result, you need to be able to be dynamic, adapt to the changes, and always find a way to stand out above the crowd. This time in our media landscape is a very awkward, but hopeful time. Newspapers are finally starting to go the way of the dinosaur and as a result, reporters are being dropped left and right. For the first time ever, Hawaii is a one newspaper town because of the swift changes in new media. However, not all is lost. The rise in new media has allowed for an innovative way to stand out above the crowd through the practice known as "Citizen journalism". Since there aren't as many reporters, there isn't as much coverage of news around the island. As a result, we, as users of new media, can take it upon ourselves to use the tools digital media has to offer and be our own independent journalists and reporters. Blogger, Tumblr, YouTube, Twitter, even the iPhone are just some of the many applications and products that allow us to create our own content and produce items intended for mass consumption. Gone is the age in which we only need our information from high and mighty journalists and anchors, new media allows us to stand out from the crowd.
New media is a large and powerful entity and here are some specific imporant tools that you will be using:
Twitter-The most innovative and revolutionary of the tools. Twitter allows users to "tweet" updates, something that is very similar to the Facebook status update, but Twitter allows for only 140 characters at a time. The tweets can be very effective because it allows users to interact with each other on a social and business level. Almost anything can be used as a Twitter update and citizens can constantly be made aware of ongoings around town. As consumers of new media, it's important to know that Twitter is innovative for business and news. Citizen journalists can both post links and give updates to their stories one tweet at a time. All in all, twitter is the perfect platform to use to stand out as a user of social media.
YouTube-While Twitter allows you to constantly update Tweets, YouTube allows you to take your information further and produce a full blown video broadcast. As a consumer of new media and probably "citizen journalist", YouTube is THE platform to use if you want to broadcast any sort of information.
Apple Products (iPhone, MacBook, MacBook Pro)- From the installed cameras to the applications that allow for video chatting, Apple provides the perfect tools for any sort of new media user. Whether you want to produce broadcasts or podcasts, these set of products even have the quick, user friendly editing software you could use to make great, effective productions. If new media was a country, than the creators of Apple Products can probably be considered the founders. It's your job as consumers and producers of this media to be the movers and shakers of this world.
Blogging websites (Blogger and Tumblr)- While these sites may soon be obsolete because of the fact they aren't as focused on immediacy and brevity like Twitter, blogging websites are great outlets for the new media user that aims to create full blown platforms. Blog sites are great because they allow the user to create pages that link to other sites and users. There are full blown blogging communities, all interlinked with each other and being a user of new media would allow you to be a part of that community and upload your own information.
As a user of new media, then you are probably going to have to interview people, here are some tips when taking on this task:
-Formulate a list of questions beforehand
-When interviewing, let the conversation flow-start it off with some of your own questions, then ask questions based off of how the interview goes
-Take note of non-verbal speech
-Take note of the surroundings in an interview
-Always try to formulate the story
-Always try to interview in person, avoid e-mail interviews
-IF you have to do an e-mail interview, then be precise with questions you want to ask
All in all the world of new media is a beautiful, exciting place. There are so many applications that allow you to be your own boss and create magical things. You can be independent in the world of new media, however, you have to remain dynamic and always be on your toes with the changes. There is a reason there isn't a textbook for new media. Books are old and by the time it's published, all of the information in it would be obsolete. In fact, Apple would have probably made another iPhone by the time you read this letter.
New Media allows for you to be a writer, producer, editor, director, camera person, blogger, photographer, all in one, but remember this....THE LANDSCAPE IS ALWAYS CHANGING , SO ALWAYS FIND WAYS TO STAND ABOVE THE CROWD.
With that said, go forth and enjoy the world of writing for new media. It's an amazing place.
Mark Carpenter
