Thoughts on the Future of Citizen Media #gv2010

The more I think about it, the more I see the future as being driven by citizen journalists, the news of on-the-ground local citizens taking precedent over the ‘professional’ journalism which has been the vanguard of all news since the dawn of the media age.

The structure of technology has changed, become more social and more “share-able” and this has made the dissemination of media far easier and quicker than any major news organisation could ever hope to accomplish with correspondents and all the logistics which go with it.

I’m sure journalists will have their place but I think their role will be much eroded in the coming age. I have no doubt of that, in fact it has already begun where bloggers and citizen news sources are becoming the norm in terms of reporting and gaining media footage. Professional journalists using citizen media for their news stories simply because there is no other footage or access to material covering that particular bit of news.

The only flaw in the plan lies in the question of ‘Access’. Not everyone can afford the modern miracle of simple communication technologies, let alone having any training of using a computer much less using and gaining access to the internet. There are MANY endeavours to close this gap but we are still a long way away from it being anywhere near acceptable levels.

Then there’s the question of priorities. Yes, the news should be reported and people on the ground should have all the resources available to them to make them a part of our global community. But, most of these people are having trouble getting basics like food, water and shelter. Here’s where correspondents will serve a greater purpose of reporting the situation in those areas.

This does, however, open up a bigger opportunity for charity organisations and NGO’s to begin fully utilising Digital Media in order to not only help the people on the ground but to spread information and knowledge world-wide. The platforms are there.

Citizen Media may be the home of the amateur writer, photographer, cameraman but information is information… and a badly taken photograph or video is much better than none at all. People are everywhere, news organisations are not. This us why citizen Media is the future and will most likely make up at least 80% of content from news organisations in the future.

I say this from the current context of cost-cutting by these news organisations (and many corporations in general) as well the rise in citizen journalists who do not ask for anything in reward, only satisfying the impulse to share and have their voices heard.

The Chilean Connection

The more time I spend in this Santiago the more I see the resemblance of so many disaffected developing countries with parts of town in urban decay and others in great development. I get images of Johannesburg town, Pretoria – specifically Marabastad, Durban town. Specifically South African Urban centres come to mind since that is my experience. Not so much London because London is first-world very clean and tidy urban settings. Even the decaying parts just don’t have the same feeling I get in South African and now in Santiago.

Pictures speak louder than words… I will need to find time to upload them. Right now the ‘official’ summit is over but the Global Voices meetings and breakaways are going to continue throughout the weekend. I’ve made a lot of new lifetime friends and am grateful to just be here.

Here’s the Flickr SlideShow for the GV Summit 2010…

Buildup to the Summit #gv2010

Day1: We’re sitting in the auditorium, funky Chilean music coming through the speakers, laptops open everywhere, wi-fi being stretched to capacity in the background. There is a definite feeling of excitement in the air as people from across the world who have only ever interacted over the digital landscape now meet each other face to face and exchange greetings and stories from everywhere.

If you didn’t already know… the tag is #gv2010. Follow it. The next couple of days is going to explode with all forms of media as ideas and opinions around Citizen Media are exchanged and processed through the hundreds of minds of bloggers, technology and media professionals.

This will trend on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, . Almost 10.15am and the auditorium is already three quarters full. Bring it on.

Global Voices Summit 2010 Blog

Touchdown Santiago

Touched down in Santiago at 11.40am local time. Back in the UK that’s 4.40pm. The 5 hour difference is driving my body insane, sleepy but it’s still too early. The trip itself was a blur, 13 hour flight with intermittent sleep, I remember watching The Departed somewhere in between. The flight was via Sao Paulo, I would’ve loved to see Brazil, the airport seems to be in the middle of the city because you can see houses and trees and mountains just outside the airport, and the sun was lovely.

I remember walking through the airport half in a daze with Paris and Public Enemy’s Remixed version of “Rebirth of a Nation” on my iPod trying to find my way to the “Connecting Flights” Section. Met some awesome people, all from Global Voices. Egypt, Tanzania, Macedonia, Fiji, Bangladesh, Japan, China, USA, Pakistan, India, Bolivia, Madagascar… and there’s going to be many more to meet tomorrow at the Summit itself.

Santiago is a big ass city, like all big ass cities, tall buildings with bustling people back and forth. In terms of culture and scenery its like a mix between Johannesburg and Egypt. Everyone speaks Spanish and I constantly chastise myself for not learning the language more. I have worse than basics to work with. I love it though, the city I mean, That constant buzz and noise and life just filtering all around me, I can sit mesmerised by it for ages.

I’m sitting in the hotel room taking advantage of the intermittent wi-fi and buzzing with excitement at the prospect of tomorrow’s Global Voices Citizen Media Summit. It’s gonna be HUGE.

Video: Interviews at the Social Media World Forum #smwf

Huzu, a very innovative London-based Social Media Platform agency had been in charge of the video element of the #smwf and are releasing 12 short videos covering specific topics using interviews of the main speakers at the forum. I have a short cameo somewhere near the end.

“What role does Social Media play in the overall Marketing Strategy”

Huzu at the Social Media World Forum 2010 – Interviews from Huzu on Vimeo.

My presentation at the Social Media World Forum on “Successfully Monitoring and Measuring Social Media Campaigns” is covered here. and is downloadable on Slideshare.

Is Brad Pitt a fishfinger? – Brand Design Analysis on Inglourious Basterds

Best Agency Christmas Present I ever received… so far.

"So what the hell does that mean?" is probably going through your head. Well here’s the rub… the Poster design for Inglourious Basterds was akin to having a great shot of a fishfinger on a pack of… well.. fishfingers.  No differentiation, nothing to build the brand. Bland. Blends into the background. Status quo. Following Market conventions… Don’t agree? Let me prove it.

Exhibit A: The Inglourious Basterds Poster (Mainstream)

Exhibit B: The Valkyrie Poster

Spot the difference. None… design-wise anyway. Now you can see Brad Pitt in typical fish-finger style… blending into the background of mediocre poster history.  Why would Tarantino bow down to corporate pressure like this and risk his almost instantaneously recognised style and colouring for mass-produced crap like this?

To be fair… there were incredibly great-looking posters made alongside this one… the issue I have is that the mass-produced poster was the most ubiquitous. Which was a shit move, marketing-wise. I’d fire whoever approved it, and am highly disappointed with Tarantino for condoning it.

Anyway… here’s the great ones…

So there you have it.  On the mass poster, Brad Pitt is a fish-finger. That poster should not have been made, let alone be put up as the main attraction.  The movie was fucking awesome, regardless.

Google’s Nexus One vs. iPhone, Droid and Palm Pre

The below info is American-focused but you can get an idea of the benefits and pitfalls of each phone.  Also, as I have always maintained, go for the phone which would suit your particular needs. Not everyone needs an iPhone despite it’s Cool status, which seems to be slowly dying out now.  If you’re a business person, get a Blackberry.  If you’re an all media, social, business, game and traveller junkie… stick with the iPhone… It’s all about utility, yo.

All info was thanks to Billshrink

Yeah Baby! Social Media is the New PUNK ROCK!

I’ve always seen Punk as a philosophy rather than a once off bunch of noisy kids with spiked hair and bad attitudes. It was about standing up to the establishment, breaking the rules, going against the norm.  They are the ultimate modern form of talking straight back with their own interpretation of how to talk back in the first place.  Hence, the below video, is a bit misplaced with comparing punk rock only to social media… it’s bigger than that.  The philosophy, I believe, transcends all media because it addresses the underlying intentions behind WHY we communicate.

So if you question the norms, don’t agree with them and voice your opinions with any media whatsoever… you are a PUNK.  Word… Enjoy the video :)

Technorati Tags: Punk, Punk Rock, Music, Philosophy, Social Media

Awesome: Deconstructing the Al-Jazeera Logo

A close friend of mine, Mohammed Nanabhay, posted this awesome animation showing the deconstruction of the Al-Jazeera logo.

The Al Jazeera logo is a calligraphic rendering of the arabic word Al Jazeerea (which means the “The Peninsula”).

The animation was posted on Wikipedia.

Technorati Tags: aljazeera, al-jazeera, design, logo, deconstruction

A Short History of Marketing

This is one of the simplest, most brilliant explanations of our current predicament in Marketing. Specially focusing on the relationship between branding and the consumer’s perception of brand and it’s evolution from the time products started getting packed and put onto shelves. Brilliant.

The short animation is done by Scholz & Friends.

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