How is journalism evolving in ways that might serve the movement for systemic change? Many traditional news outlets are struggling, new media venues are proliferating and the ability to "publish" is now available to anyone with an internet connection. A "new news ecology" emerging.
- What does this new news ecology look like?
- What are the opportunities for us to play an active role in its continuing evolution?
- How does the idea of a New Story that we have been exploring in the Cafe recently connect with this opportunity?
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We are delighted to welcome author and consultant Peggy Holman back to Occupy Cafe. Last time Peggy was with us, we explored the idea of leadership in a leaderless movement, based on the insights in her wonderful book, Engaging Emergence. This time, we explore an area in which emergence is especially accessible and relevant: journalism. Peggy is a co-founder of Journalism that Matters, and we look forward to discussing together what is working now, what is possible and how we might choose to engage in this terrain.
This excerpt from the Journalism that Matters (JTM) website helps to set the context for our conversation:
Who belongs to JTM and what is the new news ecology?
JTM members include reporters, bloggers, editors, citizen journalists, publishers, media educators, community activists, tweeters, videographers, social entrepreneurs, photographers, reformers and volunteer journalists from print, broadcast, and online media, both mainstream and entrepreneurial. Individually and collectively we are working hard to reinvent ourselves as well as the overall news medium, including investigating new economic models to support a healthy, vibrant journalism community.
The New News Ecology is the information exchange amongst the public, the government and institutions that informs inspires, engages, and activates the community. JTM cornerstone concepts of the new news ecology include:
- Journalism as a conversation – a groundbreaking shift from journalism as a lecture
- Shaping a new “cultural narrative” – Recovering the mythic role of journalists as conveners and navigators through a changing world prepares them to support communities in shaping a new national “master narrative” for our times.
- High tech/high touch journalism – Whether on the web or in the café, new storytelling forms are emerging that engage us on cell phones and iPods, and in gathering places with food, music and the arts.
- Ready, Fire, Aim – A strategy of “just do it,” moving from idea (ready) to implementation (fire) and then watching the results and adjusting (aim). This formula creates rapid experimentation and learning and avoids analysis paralysis.
- Expanding the questions we ask – Adding to the normal who, what, where, when, how, and why, asking questions like “What’s possible now?” expands stories beyond simple information gathering into the realms of inspiration and hope.
As always, we weave conversation via this forum together with the discussions on our Cafe Calls, and we also invite you to discuss these questions in person as well, returning here to share the results. We start with the following question:
- What are some examples of the emerging "new news ecology" that inspire you?
Image of Occupy Wall Street Media Center, courtesy of riomaro
