Mark Glaser has a thoughtful post wrapping up the WeMedia conference which has just ended in Miami.

He comments on how much of the the talk revolved how mainstream media could regain its former dominance of the news. Glaser said that at one point he was so riled that he had to comment, saying:

What no one wants to admit is that the mainstream media has lost power and lost control to the people. And Big Media is here to try to figure out how to exploit or make money off of citizen media. I’m not saying that they can’t be part of this new world, but they need to engage it in an authentic way.

This is reminiscent of last year’s WeMedia conference held in London. I blogged from the event for the BBC and recall how my prevailing impression was the gulf between mainstream and emerging media. Both sides were wary of the other and demonstrated a complete lack of understanding.

It to sad to hear that a year on, big media is still looking for ways to co-op the media revolution, with bloggers et al resisting.

Glaser quotes NYU professor and PressThink blogger Jay Rosen explaining the attitude to the mainstream media:

They are trying to change the vocabulary without changing the grammar. They use the new vocabulary [of new media] but they are not changing their mindset, and accepting a loss of control.

This is the kicker. New media, social media or whatever we call it nowadays, requires a change in the way we think of the media. It is not just about appropriating the tools, adding comment sections to stories or allowing reporters to blog. It requires a fundamental rethink in the traditional gatekeeping role of the press.

This is a scary prospect for a generation of editors and journalists, reared on the notion of being in control of information.

That control is an illusion. It is time to abandon our fears and embrace change, to embrace the “we” in WeMedia.

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