Dan Gillmor, the digital journalism veteran, is finishing a book (Mediactive) that encourages people to participate and not just consume media. But he's stymied in finding a term to describe this participation.
"We are all creating media. Any one of us can, and many of us will, commit an act of journalism. We may contribute to the journalism ecosystem once, rarely, frequently or constantly. How we deal with these contributions -- deciding to try one, what we do with what we’ve created, and how the rest of us use what’s been created -- is going to be complex and evolving. But it’s the future."
Are those people journalists? Creators? Collaborators? Participators? And, does it really matter?
Gillmor, in a post on Salon.com, suggests it does. In an era of mass social production, he believes we need a term to fit those who choose to play. Trouble is, he doesn't have one. Do you?
"We are all creating media. Any one of us can, and many of us will, commit an act of journalism. We may contribute to the journalism ecosystem once, rarely, frequently or constantly. How we deal with these contributions -- deciding to try one, what we do with what we’ve created, and how the rest of us use what’s been created -- is going to be complex and evolving. But it’s the future."
Are those people journalists? Creators? Collaborators? Participators? And, does it really matter?
Gillmor, in a post on Salon.com, suggests it does. In an era of mass social production, he believes we need a term to fit those who choose to play. Trouble is, he doesn't have one. Do you?
