Bypassing the Media

One of the most interesting impacts of the socialization of the Web for PR folks is the fact that John Q Public is bypassing the media and often becoming the media himself.

No longer do we have to wait for TV news or newspapers or even online news outlets to provide us with the news of the day. We can see it and hear it directly, unfiltered, throughout the Web. A great example of this is happening in Myanmar right now. Their government is trying to keep media outlets from covering the protests happening there, but citizens are taking the news themselves direct to the Web. Using cell phone cameras and text messaging, they are sending news, photos and video all over the world of what is actually taking place.

While in this instance, it is good that the world gets an unfiltered view, there are some downsides to no longer allowing media to filter what we see. It becomes more difficult to know what is credible (if the New York Times prints it, it’s pretty sure to be credible, but who knows if Average Joe out there is telling the truth?). Media are also supposed to provide an unbiased view of a subject, presenting both sides to a story, whereas everyday citizens may fill their information with their point of view.

Good or not, it’s happening and we will have to continue to find ways to determine good information from bad on the Internet. But I think as is always the case, too much information is better than too little.

What does this mean for the PR profession? PR folks are going to have to expand their reach beyond traditional media to everyone on the Web and figure out some pretty creative, and very new, ways to do so.