Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

 Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine  has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

The positive developments of the internet are that we dont have to think about certain things and the internet makes our lives so much easier.For example, we can connect with other people much easier and we can find help form something if we are stuck on The internet has made our lives much easier because we can find information quickly and communicate with people much easier. We can also use it to find help if we are stuck on something. It has also made it easier for people to share ideas and connect with people from all over the world.

2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

The dangers linked to  the development of the internet include fraud,scams and malicious software which is everywhere on the internet and it can cause serious harm and danger

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

Open technology means that technology is available for people to use, share and develop instead of being controlled by one company or group. I agree with the idea because people should be able to use the internet freely and share information. However, there should still be some rules to stop people using it for harmful or illegal things.

4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

Some of the challenges include keeping people safe online, protecting people’s privacy and making sure information online is reliable. There is also the question of how much the internet should be controlled and who should be responsible for controlling it.

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

I think there should be a balance. The internet should be open so people can communicate and share information, but there should be rules against things like scams, hacking and harmful content. If there was too much control, people might not be able to express themselves freely.

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

A profession is something that requires special skills and knowledge that most people do not have. This applies to newspapers because journalists, editors and other workers had the skills needed to produce and publish news. Before the internet, normal people could not easily publish their own news to a large audience.

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

The question is whether newspapers are still needed in the same way when anyone can now publish news online. People can get information from social media, blogs and websites without having to buy a newspaper.

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

Trent Lott made some controversial comments during a speech in 2002. At first, the mainstream media did not really pay much attention to them. Bloggers picked up on what he had said and started talking about it online. This eventually made the story bigger and the traditional media started covering it.

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?

Mass amateurisation means that ordinary people can now do things that used to mainly be done by professionals. For example, people can now make videos, take photographs, write articles and publish them online without working for a professional media company.

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

This can be linked to fake news because information can spread very quickly when lots of people share it. A story does not have to come from a professional news organisation to reach a huge number of people. This can be good when important information gets attention, but it can also be bad because false information can spread just as quickly.

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

Shirky suggests that big changes in technology can cause a lot of disruption before people learn how to deal with them. I think we are still going through this with the internet. It has made communication and sharing information much easier, but it has also caused problems such as fake news, privacy issues and online abuse.

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?

It means that anyone can now create and share information online. You do not need to work for a newspaper or have a big company behind you. This is important because ordinary people have more of a voice and can share things that they see or experience themselves.

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?

Shirky says that the printing press caused a lot of change and confusion for a long time after it was introduced. People had access to many more ideas and information, which changed society.

I think we can see something similar with the internet today. There is a lot more political information and different opinions online, but there is also misinformation, conspiracy theories and arguments spreading quickly.

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

Photography is a good example because in the past you needed expensive equipment and knowledge to take good photographs. Now nearly everyone has a camera on their phone and can take and upload pictures instantly. This means photography is no longer something that only professionals can do.

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

I think mass amateurisation is mostly a positive thing because everyone has the chance to have their voice heard. People can share their opinions, news and experiences without needing permission from a newspaper or TV company.

However, it can also cause problems because not everything people post is true. Fake news and misinformation can spread very quickly. I think we are probably experiencing both the positive and negative sides of the internet at the moment. It has given people more freedom, but it has also made it harder to know what information we can trust.