Agreed.

:)

It always impresses me how much the "big media" companies don't actually get the power of the Internet.

They'll have to "get it" eventually or they'll just go out of business.

too true!

Mainstream media is pretty much dead to me. I think CityTV sounds pretty cool, it seems like they "get it" at least a little bit to have you do what you do for them, I wish my new network had something like that, maybe I'd actually watch.

tru dat!

Amber, is it true??
http://icanhascheezbur...

look forward to the interview. lefsetz couldn't be more right.

I spent years in the "main stream media". They were concerned more about the graphics then the news. They were, and are, clueless, considering anything different "phony journalism". Thats why it's nice to work for who I work for.

True. Here in Mexico, we had quite a difficult election, and the only way to know the losing side's take on the facts was through Internet, during the campaign and even nowadays, a year later.
But, ¿Aren't we an elite? ¿Aren't we just a bunch of geeks trying to change the world?

That is why I hate watching the news. If the news program lasts for an hour, here is what you seem to get most times: 20 minutes of commercials, 10 minutes of sports, 5 minutes of weather, 15 minutes of star A dumped star B, 5 minutes of a "report" that seems to be more of a lopsided infomercial for products, and finally 5 minutes of actual news. Those 5 minutes that are actually news are hand picked "If it bleeds, it leads" type stories that are depressing or anxiety invoking. Not only that, but those 5 minutes are also many times made up of blantly biased reporting. No thanks, I'll stick to the internet, get just the stories I think are important, and ignore the Paris Hilton crap.

Just to add to what Robert is talking about... I think main stream media got use to the fact that they use to control the news or information and spun it anyway they want to before. But now with the advent of the digital age we know better! At least I think we do.

Having the Internet and a cornucopia of stories to pick from but yet you still see the same stuff from different networks and most of the time they are already days behind. Cause I think they still feel the need to take their views on it. And by the time they do its already old news!

Anyway... I guess what I'm saying is they need more people like you that has their pulse on the real news online and offline.

Amen to that!

Totally agree.

From a British perspective this would have slightly more weight if I hadn't just heard George Galloway branding Tony Blair a war criminal on BBC Radio 5. I do personally feel this one institution is holding on to a congruence with the British public. However there is a saddening trend to dumb down in the BBC that, if left unchecked, will see it leading with the 'Paris Hilton' stories within years.

The Internet has been my main source of news information for well over 5 years, even it has been from 'traditional' sources (BBC, The Times, The Guardian, etc). When it comes to British coverage of tech news however, there really isn't anything that comes close to the melange of tech blogs and podcasts that exist, and most are produced by our friends across the pond. (Sure we have the rather excellent, if over sarcastic Register).

On the one hand it's annoying that something like the iPhone launch get's next to no coverage over here, on the other hand the media was left with little choice since we have had no access to the device. So the mainstream media's view leaves us with the feeling that it's just "Americans going shopping, again!" But that doesn't change the fact that, once you've finished beta testing it for us, I can't wait to get a hold of one.

It's going to hit the major networks hard and in a way they don't expect. Similar to how the new royalty rates for internet radio will kill recording companies.

Wow - great comments! I was a little concerned about interviewing Lefsetz today, but he was really great (he had lots to say about how mainstream media is scared of the Internet, just like music labels are scared of indie musicians). I suggested he read Andrew Keen's book, but warned him it might cause him some pain ;0).