Good to see that the alternative to my holiday in Cornwall (think rain, high winds, etc.) was the Berkman conference in sunny Los Angeles. But, between sneezing and shivering, think of the carbon dividend! Good too to see Brits like Charlie Beckett and Neil McIntosh grounding some of the proceedings:
Serious journalism was described … repeatedly, as something akin to like broccoli, or medicine the citizenry needs to spoon down, no matter how unpalatable, if democracy is to survive. That’s despite the fact investigative, or civic, journalism is still seen inside the industry as being at the top, most vital top end of what we do. Yet I struggle to think of another industry that views its premium product as something akin to a nasty cough syrup – necessary, good for your health, but irredeemably foul-tasting.
2 responses to “Serious journalism – now eat your greens”
Excellent insight. And therein lies the problem. Speaking of the U.S. for a moment, had there been more alternative news narratives available in the past few decades, Americans would have long ago pushed away from the table and liberated themselves from their high-chairs in search of more tasty and nutritious alternatives — tired of being force-fed someone else’s idea of what is good for them. That’s what’s happening online now. (Steve Boriss, The Future of News)
Hi Adrian,
It was classic case (pun intended) of what you call the Chardonnay Syndrome. When journalists create new media businesses they produce what they would like to consume instead of what the public want or need. So you end up producing Pinot Noir when it is Chardonnay that sells. It doesn’t mean you can’t make fine wines, but don’t expect them to dominate the market. It was odd though that the welfare state Brits had to tell Americans about markets,
cheers
Charlie