More thoughts from Steve Jobs, speaking at the D8 conference. This time, his thoughts on publishing, and whether the iPad can save it.
“I don’t want to see us descend into a nation of bloggers. I think we need editorial now more than ever.”
Concerning the iPad itself:
“We have a lot of goals for it, but one of my beliefs very strongly is that any democracy depends on a free, healthy press.”
He speaks that traditional media, such as the NYT and Washington Post are in some “real trouble”, then moves on to the comment about a nation of bloggers.
“We all moved to reading on the Web…What we have to do is get people to start paying for this hard-earned content.”
Sorry, Steve. You’re a few years too late for that. Though Jobs does have some ideas for moving forward, stating clearly that digital should charge less than print.
I think he’s right. Blogs have lower copyediting and factual standards, and don’t work as hard to generate original content or prove what they’re publishing. Traditional journalism does a job that blogs don’t.
That doesn’t mean that journalists aren’t doing a crap job of proving all that, but it’s still true.
I think that, in the grand scheme, you are indeed correct.
However, I can also tell you that personally I strive to be factual in everything that I post. I’m also very proud to say that the rest of my TNW staff are equally as dedicated to this, from what I’ve seen.
And right there, you demonstrate something important blogs still have over traditional journalists- willingness to engage with readers.
That’s the part that I love most about what we do. It’s real time. I have a quote, that I tell people who want me to cover old things: “real time or no time”.
If I can get immediate feedback…instant gratification, then what else could possibly be better for a writer?
Sorry, Steve, the world is a nation of publishers. Be a citizen. Content Nation rules the Web, and journalists are invited to join, but they’re not in charge of the immigration department any more. Humankind survived without mass media journalism for thousands of years, and it will survive thousands more without it.
Publishing != journalism. Journalism is a craft that encompasses important specialized skills, and you don’t realize its importance now, but you would sure as hell notice the difference if it disappeared.
I agree that journalism is a specialized, important and valuable craft, but it’s not the only craft that creates value in news publishing today. Just as we’re past “peak oil,” we’re now past “peak media,” the time in which mass media’s value seemed to escalate ever-upwards and journalists could dream of big bucks and glory. Instead, journalism is returning to its roots – a gritty, often unrewarding search for the truth that’s told by more human-sized organizations to be shared with more human-sized communities. And that’s not a bad thing, probably.
Self-publishing is a growing trend. Blog + Book = Blook is growing, too. Proofreading and Copy Editing Services are available. If the blogger can’t eye the errors, another person can. A proofreader/copyeditor can.