Media Helping Media

A few colleagues have asked me what I meant when I wrote about ‘middle media’, something I have seen emerging in some of the transition countries in which I have been working.  It was clearly evident at an event last week in Kiev called MediaNext, orgainsed by Internews Ukraine and the European Journalism Center (EJC).

Put simply it's a grouping of professionals who use blogging and social networking to cover the issues that have been overlooked by others.

It's when the solo voice links up with kindred spirits and recognises that the group power offers the opportunity to impact society in a much more meaningful way.

So here is my definition.

Middle Media is a group of people ...

• positioned in between mainstream media and the social networking information overload


• motivated by a desire to cover the issues that their country’s mainstream media may have neglected or chosen to ignore


• brought together either by a single issue (often to do with human rights such as the imprisonment of blogging colleagues), or stimulated to organise by the growing number of in-country media training centres


• who realise that a loan voice is powerful, but when those voices are grouped through social networking a new dynamic is created


• from a mix of backgrounds and perspectives from journalists, PR professionals, students, teachers, sociologists, economists, business people and the unemployed


• free of age barriers and limitations based on qualifications


• willingly embracing new technology


• aware of the positives of the viral effect of social networking.

In my opinion it is an awsome prospect that could challenge all accepted ways of communicating and sharing information. It goes beyond blogging to a new collective that promises more impact than any traditional newsroom.

If anyone wants to add to the definitions of Middle Media, please either add comments below, or join the discussion on the Media Helping Media Facebook group.

 

The author of this piece, David Brewer, is a journalist and media strategy consultant who set up and runs this site, Media Helping Media. He delivers media strategy training and consultancy services worldwide and his business details are at Media Ideas International Ltd. He tweets @helpingmedia.