Yeah, it’s a bummer that it’s a corporate slogan, but I probably wouldn’t have thought of it unless those sweet folks at Nike served it to me on a platter.
Anyway, I hope that everyone here knows that corporate media is on the run, hard.
They do have money, though. Hopefully they’ll learn that the only way they’ll win now is if they spread it around. They don’t need fatcat centralizers anymore. Well, they do need a little help. Editors come in handy. But what they need are LOTS of little, everyday type editors. Not just a few big fatcats in NYC calling all the shots. It’s time to disintermediate, people! Time to decentralize. Well, it’s HAPPENING. And we have front row seats.
All you need is…well, nothing, really. If you have something to say, just say it. With any tool that comes to hand. Just yer mouth will do. A sketchpad. Paper and pencil. Send it around. It’ll get out there. If it’s any good it’ll get online sooner than later—and you don’t even have to have the computer. Someone will scan it in.
Of course, as Jack says “It’s no insuperable burden to pay the reader.” He got that from someone more famous, of course—but it’s only thanks to him that I learned of it. Probably you, too. The REALLY big trick is finding a way to make even a pauper’s living selling great art…rather than paying people to enjoy it. I’m not talking about the #1 best art, just great. OK, even just really good—something that improves the lives of thousands, say. Because we’re still stuck in the mode of “you can make a fortune but not a living” doing independent culture. Or, heck, independent anything where you’re not in the Service Sector. I mean, it’s probably fairly doable to make a living as an independent house-cleaner—as long as you cheat the government and don’t get sick. Eh? If anyone tries to go Legit or Normal as an independent player today—how far will they get? Ha! Of course, by independent I don’t mean “doing as you please.” I mean doing the right thing in a really good way. Because very often when you tie into a system you have to start lying, have to start saying “I’m just following orders” while you do Dumb Things.
BUT!
We’re getting close to a breakthru!
Like, selling ads takes a ton of time. It takes 7 contacts to make any kind of sales deal—that’s one of the biggest rules in sales. That’s a lot of work for small potatoes for a small potatoes kinda indy outfit, as most are. But gizmos like Google AdSense will automatically run ads on a webpage and automatically pay you. It may well be that a hot indy media website will soon be able to fly on its own…and maybe even make a living for its owner. (Why, OYB is almost there now with its Google AdSense panel.)
Then there are other easy, new income-generators for the Little Guy that I haven’t even activated yet, but which I look forward to using, like the Widget from Amazon.
Still, for an indy media person, I think a few hightech gadgets will come in handy. Like an iPhone and maybe a new waterproof, shockproof Sony Cybershot minicam. Get two of those and put them front and back on a bike helmet and you can take lots of nifty action shots. Or go on some other kind of outing and just give one to a friend—you have one, they have one. Splice the 2 views together when you get home. Probably a little sound recorder would come in handy, too. And a tripod—one with those bendy legs that twist and grip onto most anything and anywhere. With a few such tools—plus a laptop and the use of library computers—one can make DIY media that rocks.
Of course one still needs to develop the instincts and actions of a journalist. I find it to be REALLY hard to separate enough from myself and the action while I’m in the MIDDLE of life and action to take pictures or video of what’s going on. But maybe media just finally getting to seem everyday or “normal” enough that it’ll get easier. Still, real journalists spend a LOT of time turning around and going back and doing takes over and over again to get it right. THAT’S the real work. It’s not just about being ready when the cool thing happens. It’s making it happen AGAIN for the camera.
Man, can you imagine what it was like pre-1990 for adventure media people? I’m not that big into expedition stuff, but often when some dude went to climb a big mountain he needed to have like 2 guys along with him who were doing the same thing he was only with an extra 100 pounds of camera gear or sound equipment and who had to think about 2 things at once rather than just one. Crazy! It kinda reminds me of the Tour de France where the stars who have paid their dues are finally free to ride—before then they’re working for the old star—they often have to ride just as fast and far as the star only they ALSO have to go back and forth to team cars, helping the star. (Of course sometimes they do only work a half day but then they’re going twice as hard, giving an easy ride to the star before they pack it in.)
Anyway, today is the sweet spot for DIY! Let’s see what we can make of it!
