Comments on: Reed’s Karl Schneider: “Most journalism will be amateur”

By: Soilman

Soilman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:49:42 +0000

Here in the actual industry, the importance of user-engagement is growing all the time. Two main reasons:

The noble: It allows readers to interact with us and the brands

The ignoble: It’s cheaper than filling space ourselves

I can never agree that ‘good’ or ‘real’ journalism will eventually triumph, come what may. Journalists have far too high an opinion of themselves and their trade. Most folks out there don’t share it.

If we want to survive, we’ve got to offer something better, and – crucially – something different.

By: Freelance Unbound

Freelance Unbound — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:09:38 +0000

Please send me the link when it’s published.

I imagine it was pretty much the same talk you had (why waste a good PowerPoint presentation?). But well worth hearing.

Personally I’m on much the same page as Karl. For a while I’ve thought user-generated content will keep growing – partly because people like to do it, and partly because it will fill a vacuum.

But then, these cycles turn – so maybe the fad will fade…

By: Martin Cloake

Martin Cloake — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:52:13 +0000

Karl gave a similar talk to the second years at LCC a couple of weeks ago. I don’t necessarily agree with the way he sees everything – I’m not sure ugc will be as dominant as he suggests for example – but I really like Karl’s open approach. The best bit of advice he gave the LCC students was “play” – emphasising the fact that we are all still finding our way and that the time was ripe to try stuff out. I also think the sessions he has driven at RBI in which various members of staff come together to discuss new ways of working are something the rest of the industry should do. I’ve written a more in-depth feature on those for a forthcoming issue of InPublishing.