Ernie: I'll buy that. Just one teeny-weeny itty-bitty problem. How do you come up with something really interesting ? Its not all that easy. Moreover, suppose you have a million $$$ to spend on TV ads. Then, if it really is interesting the whole country knows about it the next day. Alas, if you have just $ 10 and it is interesting, even if you have a computer, no guarantee people will know about it for a year, or even more. Communication is still the name of the game. How many domains are there ? I've heard different figures, but it is in the 100s of millions, not billions. A lot of people with good ideas, or presumably with good ideas, are not getting their messages out. Except maybe locally, or "low wattage" via other means. Besides, for all the (deserved ) hoopla about computers, iPods, and the like, most people ( 3/4ths ) still get their news via the boob tube. Unless you count social networking as "news, " which I don't. To me it is electronic gossip, or backyard fence stuff, but more glitzy. About which, if I am wrong you surely will enlighten me and the gang here at RC.com. Anyway, how to come up with "interesting." Here is the magic formula : Bold Controversial Solves a puzzle worth solving Obviously useful to many, many people Physical violence Tragedy that effects an entire population ( or significant sub-group ) Side-splitting comedy Important innovation, social or technological Record-setting achievement Scandal Beauty that has public meaning Speculation about the future that is plausible and relevant Oddball stuff ( Ripley's "Believe it or Not" ) Dynasty --what happens to a very well known family in the public eye Barometer --facts that enable you to gauge your progress, well being, etc Warnings of impending danger etc This comes in a package and is called a "newspaper." Alas, newspapers have entered into a suicide pact and have a mutual agreement to do none of the above, or as little as possible, in order to be non-controversial, bland, "feel good," and anything but bold. Why ? To optimize their value as advertising platforms. That is, all major dailies, with exceptions we all know, are now glorified "shoppers." Pretty much the same for TV news. Clarify things a little better ? Billy message dated 10/26/2010 [email protected] writes:
This is actually one of the most encouraging things I've read in a while. Yes, it means we are probably in for a period of demagoguery, which can turn ugly, but the end result should be a much more engaged electorate. -- Ernie P. _http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/10/how-media-changes-politics. html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fse thsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader_ (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/10/how-media-changes-politics.html?utm_source=f eedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+typepad/sethsmainblog+(Seth's+B log)&utm_content=Google+Reader) How media changes politics If you want to get elected in the US, you need media. When TV was king, the secret to media was money. If you have money, you can reach the masses. The best way to get money is to make powerful interests happy, so they'll give you money you can use to reach the masses and get re-elected. Now, though...When attention is scarce and there are many choices, media costs something other than money. It costs interesting. If you are angry or remarkable or an outlier, you're interesting, and your idea can spread. People who are dull and merely aligned with powerful interests have a harder time earning attention, because money isn't sufficient. Thus, as media moves from TV-driven to attention-driven, we're going to see more outliers, more renegades and more angry people driving agendas and getting elected. I figure this will continue until other voices earn enough permission from the electorate to coordinate getting out the vote, communicating through private channels like email and creating tribes of people to spread the word. (And they need to learn not to waste this permission hassling their supporters for money). Mass media is dying, and it appears that mass politicians are endangered as well. -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
