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In favor of the “amateur”
May 11, 2008
A few weeks ago, I was in Scottsdale, AZ to speak at a conference focused on online business models. I got there a little early to sit in on a keynote by Andrew Keen, thinking that I'd launch an offensive during the Q&A. Keen is the author of The Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet is Killing Our Culture. You probably don't need to read all the refutations of this tome of logical fallacies, ad-hominem arguments and factual errors to know that I'm pretty firmly in the other camp.
I wound up keeping my yap shut because it was pretty clear that the audience was on my side and I certainly wasn't going to change Keen's mind about anything. But a few things have rattled across my transom in the last couple days that brought the pro-am argument back to mind:
First, well-respected sports journo Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights) teed off on the sports blogosphere with an assist from Bob Costas and came off looking like a colicky relic.
Then, our friend Terry Heaton (see you Tuesday, Terry!) wrote about a nice deconstruction of the Keen argument.
Then, I found myself chastising a young journalist who was appalled that an advertising agency would start a local news site when its hometown newspaper folded.
And then, as I was catching up on my PegNews reading, I came across this nice comment on Ron Dempesmeier's Asia concert review and this detailed review of Gaslight by Mark-Brian Sonna.
I don't believe that any other local media outlet had a review of Asia. And if they did, I doubt that their staff reviewers, even if they had space to do so, would have been passionate enough about the band to come up with as thorough a review as Ron did. And clearly, someone appreciated it.
And although you can hardly call them amateurs, there's nuance that working performer-directors like Mark-Brian and John Garcia bring to their extended reviews of local shows that almost no "professional" critic could. Similarly, I'd proudly put Mark Stepneski's Stars coverage next to any "mainstream" report -- if anything, the lack of space limitations may give him an unfair edge.
By no means am I suggesting that professional journalism isn't important or relevant. I even buy the argument that with the ease of publishing myriad (and potentially incorrect) items all over the Interwebs, it's more important than ever.
But we also need to remember the roots of the word "amateur." The original use of the word referred less to a lack of professionalism than to the "ama" -- Love, enthusiasm, passion. And what professional journalist doesn't achieve more when he's passionate about the work? (I'm really pleased with the enthusiasm that led our young team to work through the night on suburban election results.) Perhaps instead of worrying so much about the lack of professionalism among amateurs, we should focus on how to instill more old-school amateurism in professionals during challenging times for their business.
Power Users — Tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Pegasus News
New video comment feature
May 6, 2008
Erin already covered this in the piece on the new Radiohead contest, but I thought I should also make an official announcement here:
One of our relatively unique features has been allowing users, albeit only verified users, to post snips of code in their comments on the site. This usually means photo links or video embeds from YouTube or similar.
We only allowed verified users to do so as a security measure to prevent anything that might goof up the site.
However, we've now made it so any user can post YouTube videos in comments. And you don't even need to do the whole embed code. All you have to post is the URL of the video and we take care of the rest.
So this:
...becomes this:
Easy as pie. Note that this only works with YouTube for now. If you want to geek out with any of the other myriad video providers, you'll have to become verified. (Otherwise, we'd have to do individual programming for every new provider.)
Work In Progress — Like being a fly on the wall at PegNews.com World HQ
May 2, 2008: “Email box full of news”
May 2, 2008
On this glorious Spring-like Friday at PegNews World H.Q., Erin is working the city desk while also preparing to cover baseball playoffs involving Keller and Fossil Ridge. Then she'll be telling us (and by "us" I mean "you") about tickets going on sale for various shows, such as Judas Priest. AND FINALLY - she'll be heading back out to Mayfest. Says Laura S.: "I've got an email box full of news." Not quite a briefcase full of blues, but still worth talking about. Teresa will be plumbing the depths of the Highland Park neighborhood (to which she has been assigned), while I - film guy (but also neighborhood coverage dude) - will follow up on what Alex told me about a big shakeup in Corinth: something about a slew of city officials leaving all at once, with no one (or some unknown entity) left to man the wheel of govt. Happy Friday! And get out and do something fun this weekend, O.K.?
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