Comments on: Fear of a UCG planet and the Hero Journo

By: Jon Bounds

Jon Bounds — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:30:58 +0000

What I don’t really understand is why sites want to pull Flickr images automatically on to their home pages, I don’t really get what value it has.

If they’re engaging with the community then that’s good – but just to pump a feed into the sidebar? It’s nothing more than a design element – and yes free pictures, not even offering the “added value” of an editorial filter. Then – no matter how good the photos may be – it’s just noise.

Using UCG for a news story is different, and can offer a different (better, closer, maybe?) perspective – of course the public now know that these photos/film, even eyewitness accounts are valuable so they’ve the right to ask for some recompense if they think the kudos isn’t enough.

It takes skill to find the content that – UG or not – works,it ain’t automatic, yet.

By: morgado

morgado — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:17:35 +0000

What the blogosphere has opened for me is the access of differing opinions which you may not get in so called mainstream press (digital or otherwise).

However, I still read blogs with a healthy dose of scepticism as I read, listen or watch any other media. I suppose that I also believe that there is a facade of free speech and UCG. I’m sure if there was anything that any power that be disliked on a blog it would be taken down faster than one could click submit.

Ultimately, Hunter Thompson said it best,

“So much for Objective Journalism. Don’t bother to look for it here — not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.”

I’m probably confusing the issue. I tend to get confused rather easily.

By: focalplane

focalplane — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:13:54 +0000

I am sure some were taking photos because they wanted to for themselves (Japanese tourists come to mind here!) but there did seem to be a correlation between the BBC web page exhortations and the number of people walking about with cameras (particularly as they weren’t Japanese!)

By: Pete Ashton

Pete Ashton — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:47:04 +0000

Brenda: no, something else. I think there’s a need for all this to be for something. All those photos on Flickr – what are they for? The journalist sees them through the prism of news and misses all the other reasons.

As for the fear thing, maybe they’re projecting their own opinions of self importance? If someone is doing to them what they traditionally do to the government, and they appear to have numbers behind them…

Focalplane: I wonder if they were doing that to submit their photos, or if they were just doing it for themselves. When I raced to take Tornado photos in Moseley I didn’t think of submitting them to the BBC – they were for myself and the Flickr community.

The notion that the BBC would be more welcome is interesting because they have immediate credibility. I’ve toyed with getting an NUJ press card for that very reason.

By: focalplane

focalplane — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:04:55 +0000

I had a real problem with the media asking people to send in photographs and clips of the flooding last August. We had strangers poking their digital cameras into people’s sodden living rooms like they were on a mission from god and then got all upset when we asked, then told, them to get lost. Truth is a “real” journalist would treat the subject no differently but that press card would probably break down those barriers. We don’t mind as much if the BBC or ITV film our lives but we really don’t appreciate our fellow citizens doing it for them.

The Curtis video is interesting, nay, thought provoking.

By: brenda

brenda — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:48:54 +0000

Are you saying that they rely on is to create content, and despise us for doing so? Or are you saying something else?

Wb, btw. I like these thoughtful posts.