James Poniewozik on the 'Media Apocalypse'

Time's James Poniewozik has an article looking back at the (US) media's past year and what can be expected ahead. An excerpt:

"It's enough to make journalists wonder, Is this the end?

Yes, probably. And a beginning. Because there was good news for the media in 2008 too, and it had a lot in common with the bad news. For while the media business (the exchange of information for money) was lousy, the media (the conduits of information) were multiplying.

When an earthquake shook Sichuan and terrorists shot up Mumbai, eyewitnesses' texts poured out through Twitter. Some of the biggest scoops and best analysis in the election came from blogs and some of the best satire from YouTube. Political websites took off. The media have never been so ubiquitous or polymorphous. I can access more information on the phone in my back pocket than I could have, as a kid, in my hometown library."

Never mind the hometown library, you've now got access to more information than every library in your home state.

Poniewozik does make a good point however - the reason we are hearing about redundancies, lay-offs and print editions being scraped is because those facing such actions have a great conduit for their views. Their columns, their editorials, blogs and features. Other industries aren't as lucky, or as well-informed about the decline/change of their profession.

Thanks to "The Media is dying" Twitter feed for finding this article. If you want comprehensive updates on redundancies, lay-offs and so on, they are the feed to follow.