The New York Times has an interesting article today titled “For Music’s Sake.”
The writer took the stance of being mildly incredulous about the idea of pursing a hobby just for the sake of it, without any earnings potential. I, of course, brought this line of thinking back into the ‘established media’/’citizen media’ debate, and wondered how much thoughts like these permeate our society.
Do some in the established media dislike blogger and citizen journalist because these people are not only doing the work for free, but seemingly without “paying their dues” by working their way up a corporate ladder?
I am constantly amazed at the degree to which the web has not only delivered a means for personal media creation and distribution, but also the incredible amount of skill, time, and love that is going into these creations, with little chance for financial gain or lasting fame.
Of course, some view this as a dangerous risk of trust and standards – that working for an established media company offers a system of checks and balances. But one has to ask, when does this “adherance to standards” become a “big brother” system of mistrust?
But the greater question is: why am I thinking about this on a Sunday?