The second half of Dan Gillmor’s book, We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, For the People, focuses on the impact of technology on the legal system, specifically copyright and fair use laws and how these laws affect the nature of the technology and our freedom in using it.

The first part of this week’s reading expanded upon last week’s reading by looking at blogs and their influence on journalism.  Gillmor examines blogs and how they provide an outlet for the everyday person to share thoughts and ideas on any given subject.  Additionally, Gillmor looks at how these non-traditional journalists or citizen journalists report on important issues that are sometimes missed in the mainstream press. The ending of New York Times Select is, in my opinion, a good current example this. 

Bloggers of the world have done a good job in creating a conversation on the Times Select topic while I saw little reporting on it in the mainstream press. Bloggers such as Scott Karp of Publishing 2.0, Jay Rosen of The Huffington Post and Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachine  wrote interesting stories that delved into the topic of paying for online content and received some thought provoking feedback.  Mathew Ingram left a comment on Scott Karp’s linking to Mathew’s blog where he wrote his view of Times Select and asked “will the Wall Street Journal be next?” An interesting question…leads one to think about the future of online content and will it remain free of charge or will we move to subscription based services?    

Another topic I found of particular interest discussed how bloggers are using a grassroots approach in funding their independent news organizations. Christopher Allbritton’s Back to Iraq  blog is a good example provided by Gillmor.  Allbritton, a former Associated Press and New York Daily News’ reporter, solicited readers of his blog for donations in order to fund his trip. This concept of having readers send you to a location versus the news organization deciding what’s reported is fascinating.  This shows how Web 2.0 is creating an environment where the general public is more than just consumers of news; we can be creators, and benefactors of news.

Blogs also provide a forum for civic engagement.  In chapter eight Gillmor discusses how blogs can provide a place for people to engage, discuss and create support around civic issues.  This is interesting and true.  Take for instance the recent case of Madeleine McCann whose father maintains a blog following the search for his daughter or the numerous blogs addressing the war in Iraq.  Blogs can gain momentum and a following of international proportions, with that being said could the next anti-war movement or other civil focused movement be conducted solely in a virtual environment?

The Internet and the technical advances that have developed as a result have provided us with the ability to communicate globally.  Gillmor uses the example of the Persian bloggers who communicated messages that would not be allowed in Iranian newspapers. These bloggers were able to communicate openly and freely in an environment where such freedoms do not exist.  An open environment where, regardless of geographic location, everyone can freely communicate makes regulators and certain governments uneasy.  Because of this, the future Internet may be one of zones.

Zoning is described by Gillmor as when individuals visit certain Web sites the information displayed will be dependent upon where they viewing the site from (p. 212).  These Zones allow the user to only see what is permitted by their location.  For example the CNN Web site seen in America may be very different than the one seen in Iraq. In my opinion this should not be allowed.  The Internet is a great information and communication source and by limiting the Internet’s capabilities we are stifling its ability to foster and host open global communication. 

In addition to zoning, the Internet and other technological advancements face other innovation hurdles because of copyright and regulatory issues.  Gillmor addresses an important issue with many of the current or proposed digital laws and that is the right to fair use or “the ability to use a small portion of another’s work as a part of new work (Gillmor, p. 213).”  According to Gillmor, these laws threaten the rights we already have and future innovation.  A lot of these initiatives have come out of the fear of piracy that resulted from the Napsters of the world. For example, if someone is reading a digital book, depending on the copyright, he or she may not be able to quote the book, at least not legally.  In addition to these copyright barriers, Internet providers, many of whom are owned by big media, could create barriers that would allow you to more easily access their sites in comparison to sites not owned by them.  I feel as though this should not be allowed.  If I am paying for an Internet service I want to be able to access all content in a fast and timely manner, no matter who owns the content.  It is bad enough that the SPAMERS of the word inundate us with unwanted messages, why should corporate America’s agenda be pushed on us also when we are paying for the service. 

The Internet of today is continually growing into a robust and global communication tool.  Given its global capability it will be interesting to see if agendas of various governments and Big Business hinder the true extent to which the Internet can allow us to communicate, create and consume news.

Dan Gillmor in his book, We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, For the People, recaps how technology has influenced journalists and other multi-media specialists throughout history.  From the muckrakers of the past to the bloggers of today journalists are more than writers telling a story, they are part of an interactive process allowing writers and readers to contribute to stories making it more of a personal experience.

Throughout history technology has driven how we receive news.  With the advent of home computers, printing devices, and the Internet amateurs are able to contribute to the creation and dissemination of news.

The majority of the first half of Gillmor’s book looks closely at the implication of the Internet, specifically blogs, on journalism.  Gillmor reminds us that the true intent of the Internet is to not only read content but to create and write content. According to Gillmor, blogs have done a good job of reporting non-mainstream news and delving into a story with greater detail.  An example of how blogs can provide greater details is in political campaigns.  Gillmor in chapter five discusses how mainstream news generally only covers an issue or two, but the Internet and Web 2.0 technology provides the ability to create issue specific blogs igniting a conversation that goes beyond a few news articles.  

The issue I have with blogs is the writer’s ability or need to be fair and balanced.  There are not necessary standards that bloggers follow. This is demonstrated in Essential Blogging, by Cory Doctorow, Shelley Powers, J. Scott Johnson, Rael Dornfest, Benjamin Trott, in a passage that reads “Boing Boing is an eclectic mix of personal rambling, technical discussion, social commentary, literary news, and current-events. It’s a soap box where my co-editors and I post whatever we feel like, without having to pitch it to an editor, run it past a legal department, or concern ourselves with anyone else’s notion of newsworthiness.”  Blogs are essentially a device that allows everyone to be an opinion writer not necessarily a journalist. 

While blogs are opinion oriented and conversational in nature, they can be a medium used by person or organization to tell their side of the story.  An example of this is the celebrity blog.  According to Gillmor, celebrities use blogs to dispel rumors and disclose the truth.  Gillmor demonstrates this by referencing former Star Trek: The Next Generation star Wil Wheaton’s blog. Wheaton, according to Gillmor, uses his blog to not only tell his side of the story but also to branch into another career as a writer.

From Wikis and blogs to static Web sites the Internet has revolutionized how we create and consume news.  These technologies will no doubt continuously change how we communicate both within organizations and through the media.  The future of how news is created, consumed and disseminated is yet to be seen, but one thing that is clear the Internet will be key in communicating in a new world without geographic boundaries and where everyone can be a newsmaker.