Jeff Jarvis has one of his more pointed posts today in asserting that journalists need to create value in an era of abundance and waste.
That's right, waste. Jarvis sees a lot of inefficiency, even in challenging economic times --- reporters performing roles others are, providing content others are, going through the motions instead of going through a process of considering how to be different.
He extends his argument to bloggers --- and I feel a little tweaked by the critique --- in asserting that just providing links without adding value isn't sufficient. Point taken.
What he's noticing is what happens when resources are challenged: Quite naturally some newsrooms focus on what has worked in the past. He shouldn't be surprised to see a CNN correspondent doing the same type of story over and over. Human instincts don't necessarily lead to bravery in challenging circumstances. But he's not wrong: Newsrooms will thrive if they find more interesting ways to provide content and fewer ways to duplicate what others are providing.
