Comments on: Bill Buxton on why technology is a cultural artefact http://www.reportr.net/2010/01/30/bill-buxton-on-why-technology-is-a-cultural-artefact/ This blog on media, society and technology is run by Professor Alfred Hermida, an award-winning online news pioneer, digital media scholar and journalism educator. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:10:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill Buxton on why technology is a cultural artefact « Reportr.net | Xtreme Geeks http://www.reportr.net/2010/01/30/bill-buxton-on-why-technology-is-a-cultural-artefact/comment-page-1/#comment-1141 Bill Buxton on why technology is a cultural artefact « Reportr.net | Xtreme Geeks Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:48:03 +0000 http://reportr.net/?p=2120#comment-1141 [...] the rest here: Bill Buxton on why technology is a cultural artefact « Reportr.net Posted in Tech News Tags: arts, compared-how, dance-reviewer, dance-show, does-not, [...] [...] the rest here: Bill Buxton on why technology is a cultural artefact « Reportr.net Posted in Tech News Tags: arts, compared-how, dance-reviewer, dance-show, does-not, [...]

]]> By: Niclara Martin http://www.reportr.net/2010/01/30/bill-buxton-on-why-technology-is-a-cultural-artefact/comment-page-1/#comment-1138 Niclara Martin Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:30:58 +0000 http://reportr.net/?p=2120#comment-1138 "the role of the citizen journalist" This is something which concerns me a bit. Sometimes you view news items using film shot by a member of the general public, and some of these videos seem to show the photographer has placed themselves in danger of BECOMING the news "member of public swept away by flood/caught up in landslide"/"member of public chasing tornado badly injured"...... I worry that this cult of "encouraging" the general public to "send us your photos" will place SOME of the more Gung-ho types in danger they wouldn't have thought about, before the advent of phone-cameras/digital videocams. The opposite side of the argument is that WITHOUT film smuggled out of SOME areas, the outside world would not know what is happening there. So, I will concede that in SOME cases, risks may have to be taken. BUT, generally, floods/landslides/tornados/sinking ships etc should mean that the member of the general public is getting themselves to safety, NOT stopping to film for NEWS companies. Of course if a member of the public is injured filming the above scenarios, the News companies can avoid liability by saying the "person put themselves at risk".....and then they would probably use the details as a NEWS item. “the role of the citizen journalist”

This is something which concerns me a bit. Sometimes you view news items using film shot by a member of the general public, and some of these videos seem to show the photographer has placed themselves in danger of BECOMING the news “member of public swept away by flood/caught up in landslide”/”member of public chasing tornado badly injured”…… I worry that this cult of “encouraging” the general public to “send us your photos” will place SOME of the more Gung-ho types in danger they wouldn’t have thought about, before the advent of phone-cameras/digital videocams.

The opposite side of the argument is that WITHOUT film smuggled out of SOME areas, the outside world would not know what is happening there. So, I will concede that in SOME cases, risks may have to be taken. BUT, generally, floods/landslides/tornados/sinking ships etc should mean that the member of the general public is getting themselves to safety, NOT stopping to film for NEWS companies. Of course if a member of the public is injured filming the above scenarios, the News companies can avoid liability by saying the “person put themselves at risk”…..and then they would probably use the details as a NEWS item.

]]> By: Niclara Martin http://www.reportr.net/2010/01/30/bill-buxton-on-why-technology-is-a-cultural-artefact/comment-page-1/#comment-1137 Niclara Martin Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:31:23 +0000 http://reportr.net/?p=2120#comment-1137 There has been considerable disquiet on BBC boards about it's "dumbing down" of it's NEWS service. The public want GOOD QUALITY reporting. However, too often televised NEWS seems to resort to VOX POP or Twitter for it's items. BBC also seem obsessed with advertising Twitter all over their website/stations. Getting people on Twitter does not make it a good vehicle for quality news/information gathering - it's only as good as the "nut behind the wheel". If trained journalists take years to hone their expertise, it is asking a lot of "Mrs McGlumphy and her camera phone/Twitter account" to get to the heart of a story. Just because the technology is out there, should you use it? And if you use it, make sure it is an IMPROVEMENT on what you already have. Twitter in the hands of a trained journalist may have some merit. In the hands of Mrs McGlumphy......???? On another subject Alfred, thank you for allowing a place to discuss BBC Blogs and Accountability, and if any of my postings were the reason for it's closure, I will step back to allow others the opportunity to discuss these matters OUTSIDE of BBC. There has been considerable disquiet on BBC boards about it’s “dumbing down” of it’s NEWS service. The public want GOOD QUALITY reporting. However, too often televised NEWS seems to resort to VOX POP or Twitter for it’s items. BBC also seem obsessed with advertising Twitter all over their website/stations. Getting people on Twitter does not make it a good vehicle for quality news/information gathering – it’s only as good as the “nut behind the wheel”. If trained journalists take years to hone their expertise, it is asking a lot of “Mrs McGlumphy and her camera phone/Twitter account” to get to the heart of a story. Just because the technology is out there, should you use it? And if you use it, make sure it is an IMPROVEMENT on what you already have. Twitter in the hands of a trained journalist may have some merit. In the hands of Mrs McGlumphy……????

On another subject Alfred, thank you for allowing a place to discuss BBC Blogs and Accountability, and if any of my postings were the reason for it’s closure, I will step back to allow others the opportunity to discuss these matters OUTSIDE of BBC.

]]> By: James http://www.reportr.net/2010/01/30/bill-buxton-on-why-technology-is-a-cultural-artefact/comment-page-1/#comment-1136 James Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:27:01 +0000 http://reportr.net/?p=2120#comment-1136 I thought the most significant point that Bill made today was that society will need to acknowledge that journalism is a critical aspect of freedom and democracy, and some day people may pay for investigative journalists to uphold our democracy. I thought the most significant point that Bill made today was that society will need to acknowledge that journalism is a critical aspect of freedom and democracy, and some day people may pay for investigative journalists to uphold our democracy.

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