of nightmares and podcasts and media discussion

Further to the Nightmare Meme I posted earlier, there was some very interesting comments between Rob Irwin and Cameron Reilly regarding the future of the Mainstream Media in the face of citizen media.

I threw my two cents into the fray and plopped a post-it-note on the edge of my computer screen to remind myself to pop back over in a day or two to see how the discussion had evolved. But there was no need. Within a couple hours of my post, I recieved an email from Cameron telling me he's replied in his latest podcast. Give it a listen. Cameron makes some incredibly good points.

Damn. If I wasn't already convinced on the power of podcasting, this would have sold me. I've kibitzed in dozens of forums, blogs and discussion groups over the years but this ... this was different for me. Hearing Cameron's voice as he responded to my comment brought this discussion to a whole new level for me. Hearing the passion in Cameron's voice as he discussed this issue - that's something that just doesn't translate in the written word.

I've added G'Day World to my podcatcher, I suggest you do too.

As for my own response; Cameron, I don't disagree with what you have to say.

I do think we're on the cusp of a new revolution in terms of communication and open discussion. However I don't think the old media will be swept away so quickly. There are still far too many people who have no access to the internet, and more still who have the access but have no idea what that access means. My jaw almost completely unhinged earlier this week when I heard a business person opine that she couldn't see any benefit to being in the top position on a Google search. For these people the old models fulfill their needs.

As for the function, I personally, that the advertising model the mainstream media has been subsisting upon - interruptive messages delivered to as large an audience as possible - has been disfunctional for years. It's ineffective, delevers a poor return on investment and frankly, deserves to wither and die. However, there are still far too many companies who believe that marketing means advertising. There are too many businesses who still believe that they're just one slogan or jingle away from success. The perception remains that advertising is integral and so the dollars exist for any vehicle that proves significant.

Right now, and I imagine for the next couple decades - the significant numbers will remain with the traditional forms of media. But it's clear as glass as to where the future lies.