(updated on August 31, 2009)
Initially all media evolved as a means to emulate this gold standard to the best of its abilities. Print shares content, radio shares the sound, movie and tv adds the visual.
BUT all media struggle to overcome several barriers:
1) Context: when everyone is gathered together for the same reason there is a context to start from for the speaker or the artists to relate to. In contrast, communication and entertainment via almost any mass medium risks being taken out of context.
2) Collaboration: there is a sense of mutual investment in a live event that fosters a willingness to collaborate - the promoter/theater owner wants a full house, the audience wants to enjoy it, the speaker or artist wants the audience to respond, the backstage support knows there are no opportunities for "another take"
3) Timing: The audience has planned to come. Anticipation has been built. The imagination is primed to receive and process more nuanced, sophisticated stories.
4) Real Time: As the story unfolds, the opportunity for the magic that only happens spontaneously and authentically happens. No shooting scenes out of sequence and building a story post facto in the editing room.
5) Affinity: As Ken Burns said on Monday night about speaking to a Chautauqua audience - "I feel we are kindred spirits." This is the energy that is only realized to its fullest potential at a live event.
The interactivity of the internet is an advantage for media to overcome many of these hurdles to emulate the gold standard of communication and entertainment and deliver the energy of "kindred spirits."
Existing technologies exist to overcome these barriers. But, as of yet, they haven't been combined to offer one seamless solution. Hal Varian calls it "Combinatorial Innovation" A guy named "Hammer" (?) clearly communicates the untapped opportunity.
UPDATE: Have discovered 2 interesting concepts that have the potential to overcome these barriers. One is a design concept created by IDEO and featured in this Fast Company article. Key is that is uses visualizations to efficiently communicate a TON of information, facilitating real time interaction. Another is the Newsroom Cafe concept proposed by Dave Cohn which is a neat way to capitalize on the power of news to stimulate comaraderie and a civilized forum for discussion to build sense of community. As discussed above, these concepts would be great together.
We haven't begun to tap this potential. The first hurdle is establishing a transaction system to support the "link" economy that is "frictionless" as Fred Wilson says. Maybe this is where government can facilitate.
