Creative Video Blogging and The New "Instant Journalism"

With all that is going on this year at CES, an event I'm going to for the next few days, it's going to be the independent news sources, not the main stream media where a lot of the so called "breaking news" and more interesting stories are told. With blogging, podcasting and video blogging happening from anywhere there's an IP connection, we have entered an era of "Instant Journalism" and of "just in time" distribution of news content.

The way news is gathered, who it is gathered by, where and how it is disseminated is changing. What people want to know about, and where they go to find it are changing too.

Take the Technology Evangelist, Benjamin Higginbotham, and the way he is applying creativity in blogging to the next level, using video blogging, on the spot reporting and video mail to tell people all the cool things that are happening at CES this year. The way he's doing it, asking the audience what they want covered, then going out, getting the stories and posting them to his blog is very imaginative and a part of what I'm labeling "the New Journalism," something which is fueled by "Instant Journalism."

Using our agency's client SightSpeed video mail feature and his own web site, Higginbotham will be telling the world what he's seeing and hearing about in Las Vegas. In the sake of transparency, he's doing this on an unsolicited basis, but SightSpeed certainly appreciates his efforts for they, like I, know a great idea when we see it. If you have a question, send him a video mail via SightSpeed and he'll get you the answer. His email address is [email protected]

With events like the always tasty Lunch at Piero's, ShowStoppers and Pepcom, all media showcases, and hundreds of bloggers walking around with video cameras, video phones, laptops with webcams, a new kind of "instant journalist" will be be starting to appear at a level like never before. Because of this, I'm expecting CES to be a revitalized news event, and at the same time, an event where the unknown can become known, not only from the usual sources, but from new and unexpected places. It's the "new instant journalists," even those without press passes, who will be wandering the halls at CES that will be finding products and stories that makes the show interesting. Search engines for blogs will also take on a new level of importance, with old school search engine optimization going out the window, as the blog search tools care only about two things, how recent is the posting and how relevant is the post to the keywords searched for.

On the human, um Public level, this also means, the usually dismissive approach many old school PR people have taken towards bloggers and online journalists will have to change. Heck it better. Bloggers are now as important to the established companies as the mainstream media have always been, not just to the new and emerging companies with something new to show. As a matter of fact if you have to pick between the analyst, media or blogger this week, unfortunately the analyst drops to third in importance if you've got something to tell and sell. Candidly some media types who are not on deadline should take a page out of the sportswriters creed and code of mutual respect...photographers and those on deadline to the front of the pack, everyone else to the back.

I'll be at CES this week along with clients Nokia, TalkPlus, ATS, SightSpeed and NextAlarm all of whom are on site, either in their own booths, in partner booths or both. There will also be private suites and private showrooms scattered around Las Veags making a portable GPS a dream come true. At media events I plan to cover, I'll have my press badge, so as a member of the instant journalism world hopefully my spot will be at the front of the pack, not in the back of the room.

With events happening almost around the clock in the city that never sleeps, this years CES has all the trappings of being something really big, but in reality it's just another edition of the ultimate toy show for boys and girls. What is going to make it different this time is the Internet's new Instant Journalists. You see, for the companies that can tell their story, show their wares and don't manufacturer hype, but have something to say, and most importantly, are willing to give time to the new "Instant Journalists" will be the ones who get seen, receive the coverage and garner acclaim, for it will be the Instant Journalists who tell that story for them like never before, in a time frame that has now become the standard, not the exception---Instantly..

Amplification

I've updated this post to correct some sloppy grammar, punctuation and spelling. It may still not be letter perfect. I'll be the first to admit I'm not the best at editing my own writing, and when posting, those mistakes slip by. It's not right. It's not scholarly and it weakens the point I'm trying to make. I'm man enough to admit my mistakes and shortcomings in life. That's why I want to thank a "real editor" with "real grammar skills" for pointing this out. It doesn't change my intent, nor what I believe is a sea of change in how news is generated, gathered and disseminated. And Nicholas Carr is right. Our grammar and writing skills are changing, not for the better. I thank him for his somewhat tongue in cheek, very well written, and accurate post because I share that concern with him about accuracy, and the writing in today's era. Unfortunately I don't see that issue going away.

Comments

[Duane]

I'm surprised that you guys think bloggers get different (i.e. worse) treatment than mainstream media. Maybe that's how it appears on the surface, but I think most people realize how important the bloggers are.

I see it everywhere that bloggers get better treatment myself. When Rocky Balboa came out, Sylvester Stallone personally talked to all the people via AintItCoolNews.com (a blog site) and answered everyone's questions every day. He didn't do this for the mainstream media. When companies do big releases (i.e. Yahoo), all the bloggers are invited down.

The barrier to entry for reporting is very small now (as it is for most things that used to depend on technology), and I would hope most people would appreciate the importance of bloggers and "citizen" journalists.

[spinchange]

Andy,
I am not a regular reader of your blog but stumbled upon via ZDNet's regurgitation of Nicholas Carr's piece about it.

I find it admirable of you to postscript your edits and link back to him with credit.

As you know, I 'dugg' you - for being right on the money in your observations (...typos, run-on's, and all :-) It is certainly worthwhile to try to use spellcheck and correct grammar, but as long as you’re honest, relevant, and readable- who cares? (Other than Nicholas Carr and Donna Bogatin ;-)

Cheers...Have a great time @ CES!

[robgreenlee]

I believe that this "Instant Journalism" concept is really driven based on trust from an audience small or large. Trust can be based on actually using digital social media to communicate and is also based on the reputation and expertise of the citizen journalist.

Old mainstream journalism has not always included actual real media to prove points. We are seeing bloggers, podcasters, and video bloggers get down to the street level and actually record and present the actual facts.

I have spoken to many so called mainstream journalists over the years who covered so many different topics that most of the stuff they wrote about they had no basic understanding of the topics. I think we are seeing true experts who live and work the topics everyday become the journalist now.

I trust Andy's views on VOIP and Internet trends more than most mainstream media writers. I do think things are changing and getting better with the mainstream media in this regard as we see more reporters specialize in areas that they have some expertise in. I think the fundemental change is more around true experts covering their own industry topics.

Rob Greenlee
WebTalk Radio
Melodeo Mobilcast
Mobile Podcast Listening Blog

[John Cass]

There is definately a transition, but I would not throw out all journalists. In fact I think the profession is fast adopting blogging. What I'd like to know is what can bloggers learn from the profession of journalism?

[David Spark]

Well I am a strong supporter of video blogging, but you can't just stick a camera on someone, record, and think you're going to get an audience.

In a nutshell, you must create compelling video or you're going to lose your audience. And much of that has to do with the inherent fact that video is not a scannable or searchable medium. Although there are technologies like Podzinger that are trying to narrow that gap.

My extended comments on your post are at my blog.

[NOYB]

Search yesterday on Google for "Nokia N800" -- nothing.

Search yesterday on Technorati for "Nokia N800" -- everything you could want to know.

If you're in any kind of business where time matters, you need the bloggers to be paying you attention. Also, where do you think the mainstream media will be going to do a little background research before writing their product reviews?

No network operators have ever attempted to engage me as a blogger, or even notify me of interesting new products. Loads of vendors have, though.