Among those who argue for a more robust form of citizen media--which, in a nutshell, calls for variations on the blogging format--Dan Gillmor is an icon. He is frequently cited among his acolytes for
his views on everything from free media to dispersed media. So it is somewhat surprising to read Gillmor's piece at BBC News in which he defends the essential nature of conventional print journalism.
"Sound journalism is a foundation of an informed citizenry in self-governing nations. Economic trends [i.e., cutting back on newspaper staffing because of the effective competition of eBay, craiglist,
and other revenue-siphoning Web sites] suggest serious problems for the organizations that have used the manufacturing model of media--with attendant barriers to entry that made it so profitable
for more than a half-century -- in part as a way of supporting high-quality journalism," writes Gillmor. "Many classified adverts are moving to the net. So I worry. What if we can't come up with
useful journalism business models in the near term to replace the eroding ones? What if we're in for a decade or two of decline in the watchdog journalism that takes deep pockets and a civic
commitment to produce?" His points are too seldom spoken by people of importance in the sometimes self-reverential Internet community.
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Read the whole story at BBC News »