Flickr and Getty: New and Old Media Converge

Interesting story from the Guardian: Getty have signed a deal with Flickr which would allow the photo library company to buy pictures from users. Although the specific group is by invite only, you can easily see Getty extending such a useful platform - 2 billion photos is nothing to ignore.

It's a great demonstration of how old media - Getty (though it was only set up in the 1990s) can harness the potential of new media. Professional photographers can't be everywhere, but sites like Flickr can, for no cost, provide an infinite library of pictures from around the world. It is still interesting to note however, that it's still the old media taking the charge, needing the photos taken by clients they'll never meet. The real change may well be when those in the new media no longer feel the need, or the want, to sell to old media - but whether this will change is sceptical.