• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 7, 2015

Getting closer to your favorite media content/TV programming has never been easier. For example, Nashville-based Rabble.TV allows TV watchers to create their own audio “broadcasts”commenting on TV sports, shows and events.

Over a decade ago, media creators talked about the day that they would be just instigators for entertainment, and technology would allow viewers to spin new versions of TV shows, movies and other content.

Since that time, social media has changed the landscape for the average person’s general input into entertainment. For example, some have developed short parody videos for YouTube.

Other variations on that theme have arrived. Think of Derek Jeter’s new Players’ Tribune, a website allowing athletes the ability to express themselves directly to the public, without interference from the media. Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz did a long post on those who accused him-- back in 2003 -- of taking performance enhancing drug; the Houston Astros’ Brady Aiken talked about his surgery.

Some might just call this quasi-PR work, or maybe even journalism.  Players’ Tribune says actual journalists/producers “write” those athlete stories -- from interviews with those athletes.

An explosion of media these days has fostered more questions: Who is really minding the store? Who needs TV producers, journalists, fact-checkers, and proofreaders in citizen-created content?

Not only that: With more people looking to talk, blog, and produce, apparently we’ll also need more agents, lawyers, and PR professionals to help us manage the troubled times when created content is incorrect, defamatory or just lame.

Good content takes some work. Do you have the resources? Do you have the time? Do you care?