A reflection after the RemakeCamp yesterday at which I spoke. For me the key is to refocus the media arena to understand that it is about the community, the society which the media should serve. Any media – in particular news media – is there to serve and give voice to the community in various aspects – jobs, classified, entertainment, information, education, but probably the most important part as the 4th governing power controlling the other governing powers. The power which should give voice to the ones in need – whether this voice is channeled through a journalist or by themselves is not necessarily important. What is import is the room for their expression of it. The challenge moving forward is to make sure these voices are diverse, free and expressionate. The channels at which these are heard should be diverse, yet they should be kept sane, on-point, human and compassionate.
Ultimately, media should refocus into a dialogue fostering aspect and leave the broadcasting approach behind.
The key is to once and for all move away from seeing the problems and see solutions. The challenges are issue will always be there, and there will be new ones. What we always need to focus on solutions and how to move forward. The steps might not be long. They might be small. But they will be a step towards a change. A step back to the roots of journalism – the humble and dedicated servant of the community and its needs. The servant can either be a journalist or a citizen, and we need the tools for it.
Yesterday at ReMakeCamp it was a discussion about trust. Instead of focusing on how we can provide guidance for the consumers whether it is to trust the journalists, provide channels for them, provide funding or “simply” giving the tools to see if other citizens tell the truth or are juste for what they are covering it ended up being a discussion focused on all the problems we have. That is a very unfruitful discussion that leads nowhere. I think the key for me is that I have the ability to find solutions by listening to the needs and try my best to eliminate myself as much as possible from the projects over time. Only then will we start to walk a path towards change.
Now imagine we start to constantly stepping towards bringing such tools that allows anyone to provide their voice and open up for a dialogue. I think the key for myself and the work that I have done is to show that that the obstacles are not there if we don’t want them to be. It is easier to hind behind an obstacle and hide from it instead of moving around it and get going. It is the perfect excuse not to do anything. We should move around obstacles and as technologists we should constantly strive for not being a needed constant in it.
