Embracing the new, learning from the old

I just finished listening to the first episode of Portlander Betsy Richter’s podcast called “Redoing Media.” I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to hearing more from her, her listeners and her guests. I’m happy she’s doing a show like this.

In an effort of full disclosure (we bloggers have to legally do that now in many instances) I personally have an intense interest in what she uncovers/discovers through the venue of her show because I am an usual breed these days. I have one foot in old media and at the same time one foot in the new.

I know I’m not alone in this situation, but there aren’t that many of us really. There are a lot of old media types and loads of new media types, but not a large number of hybrids. I have a day job as editor and publisher of a traditional small community newspaper while I’m also the co-host of a “new media,” internet radio show — The Becky and Joe Show on PDX.fm in Portland, Ore.

One thing that my old media experience has taught me is that it is indeed a lot of hard work and fantastic fun gathering and disseminating news and information to the public. It is also a sacred mission that must be carried out by someone or our republic will suffer. However, I also have learned — the hard way — that if you don’t have a sustainable business model that produces enough money to live on, you’ll have a great sideline job that is likely short-lived — unless you have another job, unemployment checks, a rich uncle or a trust fund that you’re burning through to pay the bills.

I’m finding it hard to be convinced that people producing news part time have the same available time and resources as those who do it as their day jobs and can rely on the resources and access of a news organization. I’m not saying they can’t make headway and do good work, but it ultimately takes a full time job to cover a town or a beat as throughly as required by most media consumers. I do honestly believe that there are many new media content producers (more than I can list here) who do their work as a labor of love and have the same if not more talent than those who do it as a full time job. That needed to be said.

Please don’t misunderstand me and think I’m a naysayer — I am not. I dearly love the “new media” and want many parts of it to succeed as evidenced by my blog writing, my tweeting, my passionate online social networking, and my internet radio show co-hosting. It’s likely that someday when a reliable business model is forged and proven out, what we now call the new media will only be known as “the media” and I’ll gratefully make my home there as I did in what is currently “the media” but will then be known as the old media. That’s oversimplifying it, but you hopefully understand what I’m getting at.

So, I’m looking to more episodes of Betsy’s great new show to help us all — and selfishly me — delve into this new media with an eye toward making it occupationally sustainable so that we can “get the show going” on this new media world and still afford to keep the lights on, food on the table and the kids in clothes.

I wish Redoing Media the best of luck and give it my full personal support plus the support of my new media radio show, The Becky and Joe Show. Becky and I will no doubt talk about Betsy’s show from time to time and encourage our listeners to check it out and participate.

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