KUOW the local Seattle Public Radio Station today had a conversation about media deregulation and the reduction of media ownership with author Erick Klinenburg today. They discussed the affects of media conglomerations on local radio news coverage.
Blogging came up briefly as a source for filling in some of the gaps where other local news sources have been declining.
The conversation about diversity and the different voices available in different areas really got me thinking about Localism.
Localism is very young now, and the material available is still somewhat limited, however the potential for diversity is amazing.
With national media in some ways a country can be held together, by sharing common interests and common experiences a national "feel" is maintained. When I turn off the media, no radio, no TV, no net news. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. The connection can be so powerful that when you haven't been plugged in for a while you feel disconnected, at least I do.
I read about how Toby Barnet went out this weekend to take pictures of his local Marysville and found that even though he'd grown up there he was getting much closer to it through gathering pictures for his Localism input.
Localism is in the early stages but it is a great opportunity to recreate and connect us to that local feel as opposed to the national.
Localism has the potential to reinforce those things that give a particular location it's uniqueness. In a time of ever homogenizing geography, Localism has the potential to become a place that reinforces and redefines those unique things that make each community unique. And at the helm of that recreation of community is the Real Estate professional who's defining it with their own experience and branding themselves with their community.
How does that play out in our businesses?
I heard it on Donna Harris' Personal Commercial today, "When you think North Dallas, think Donna Harris."
* image from KUOW Seattle, www.kuow.org "The Conversation" Feb, 5, 2007
Thanks for the mention, Caleb!
I completely understand what you mean. I've been disconnected since about Thursday as I opened a dictionary and learned what the word VACATION meant. Granted, I don't think I grasped the concept of "vacation" very well, but we went to Vegas for 3 days, and now I'm so far behind with everyone's blogs, and the local news, that it's overwhelming to pick back up.
I need a program that will take all the blogs and turn them into audio so I can listen to them while multi-tasking!!
Blogging could definitely fill in radio gaps, but there's a major difference that not all communications and marketing operations have yet picked up on: most major media is fed to its consumers; blogging, on the other hand, is something that the consumers have to go out in search of. There is a lot of rough to wade through in the world of blogging before I find the diamond; but there are only 10 or so FM radio stations to scan.
In the world of blogs, there are many diamonds in the rough; but, the rough can be ubiquitous, and searching through it can require investment and dedication on that part of the blog consumer. Localism and groups are both great ways to target blogging in a way that begins to mirror the distribution models of traditional media, making it more accessible to consumers.
You bring up a great point about localism. Working with the national association of broadcasters, local broadcasters are having trouble competing with internet, cable and satellite for advertising dollars. Media ownership rules actually need to be modernized in order for local stations to maintain operations and provide valuable services, including local news, to our communities that these other types of media will not.