About me. Hmmmm.
A proud American, a pariah in the world of broadcast TV news and a prisoner of gadgetry. Passionate about unbiased, revealing, and smart journalism, repsectful of the power of the Fourth Estate, and utterly disgusted with the tattered condition in which it’s current stewards are shamelessly maintaining it.
…And now the bright side!
I love the work of television news and the opportunities it gives me to meet different people and experience new things almost every day. I work with quality people determined to do good work under a smothering management and production style that continually stifles our efforts. The healthy challenge of constantly pushing and prodding from within the system for positive change keeps my intellect engaged and the ever-evolving technological advancements I interact with keeps my mind sharp.
…Which brings me to the New Media world!
Old media television news is ”de-evolving” into harvesters of mostly low-hanging fruit. It’s our primary food source. Hand us a story on a silver platter via some professional public-relations or government liaison, and it’s coverage galore! Generally, it’s big news PROVIDED BY, not critically covered by, a partnership feeding off of big money spent by big people in big cities for big audiences with small expectations.
Meanwhile, where the premium stuff is, up near the TOP of the fruit tree where extra effort, ingenuity, determination, and the willingness to take chances gets you your quality spoils and can really make a difference in the world… Well, let’s just say TV News has left a lot of good fruit to rot.
New Media is changing that. Almost every day we hear how big media is dying on the vine (What is it with me and the agricultural references today?) because they can’t compete in a New Media world. We don’t need a large slow-moving public relations or government apparatus collaborating with a large, slow-moving, apathetic, lathargic, and in some cases malicious media apparatus to communicate our messages to the world.
Most of us who work hard for an honest living, care about our values and the state of our union, refuse to feast on low-hanging fruit and refuse to accept the distorted images of reality on a television screen anymore know the truth. We see the truth with our own eyes, TELL the truth with our language, share the truth with others via New Media and engage in the REAL world that revolves around us. We don’t need big media anymore. On the other side of that coin, more and more people are saying they don’t need ME anymore… Maybe I’ll get a government bailout! Yeah! That’ll fix everything! What unintended consequences could possibly emerge out of such a noble act!? (If you tip your computer to one side now, a copious amount of sarcasm will flood out of the vents)
That’s why I’m passionate about and doing my darndest to become a meaningful part of New Media! It’s both exciting and disconcerting at the same time. I get my paycheck from old media. I will always try to improve upon old media from within for as long as possible. I’ve been a part of old media for almost 20 years. But I see my old media role withering away (more agriculture!) and I refuse to just give up on the profession and personal passions that I hold so dear! At the same time, I’m not a businessman or a salesman. Can I become independently successful before my old media role evaporates completely?
We’ll just have to keep breathing and find out! At least it won’t be boring.
I invite you to visit
www.gmnewmedia.com , my first venture into the New Media world and tell me via this blog how I’m doing!
Thank you for your time and interest.
Rob