Nicole Ferraro of Internet Evolution and Andrew LaVallee, in his WSJ Digits blog, sum up the brouhaha surrounding a tech conference in New York, called the "Audience Conference. "
The conference features several online folks (TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington, Mahalo’s Jason Calacanis and CNET editor Dan Farber) who clearly ruffled the feathers of . Journalism professors and frequent Twitterers, Jay Rosen and Jeff Jarvis, who basically said the term "audience" is just So Yesterday. [UPDATED: tweeted (Rosen) "Oh man, the people formerly known as the audience are sooo wondering where their invitation is: http://audienceconf.com" and later tweeted (Rosen again) "The People Formerly Known as the Audience doesn't say: there's no more audience http://tr.im/tpYl Unless you don't read it. Then... it does." (Jarvis) "Yes, naming a
conference "Audience" dates it by 15 years. Who the hell is an audience
anymore? What's next, the "Consumer" conference?"] (Note to event co-producer Loren Feldman of 1938 Media: Can't we all just get along? Invite the guys! [UPDATED: These guys should be on the panel, along with others suggested below.])
The "anti-audience" rampage is silly. But the underlying
sentiment can't be ignored. Namely, resentment by journalists (and
other media, too?) that when given the capability to respond, the
audience isn't so nice nor easy to deal with, in fact, they are just
plain scary.
Ironically, media kits actually refer to the online "audience" as "users," implying that unlike traditional media audiences these are unappreciative "takers." No kidding, that's exactly what media kits say: "our core users check the weather on a regular basis," or "what percent of ##$@ users come from Europe?" (bold italics are mine)!
Look, despite the Pew report about declining perceptions of press accuracy, I think Journalists have a lot to be proud of. I respect the folks who are evangelizing to maintain a high level of professionalism. But wishing the audience were more like the "grateful dead" is not going to change the game.
Nor is wishing ad revenues would come back. Not when you call your audience "users." Why would anyone
reading a media kit, with a product or service they want to sell, want
to place advertising in front of people who are users and not buyers? And especially not when you "hit" advertisers: "@*&%^ hits target marketers with media program." (my bold italics again)
No one wants to be a part of this abusive relationship! Formerly known as advertisers are filling the void by creating communities where they can build camaraderie with their consumers.
Some journalists get it. Others don't.
Al Neuharth gets it. He's called for newspapers to focus on "All the News that's Fit to Buy."
Dan Gillmor gets it "11 Things I'd Do if I Ran a News Organization"
If the objective of the conference is "How to reach out to and engage an audience" maybe the conference hosts should invite some of these guys who get it. I'd bet they'd get a bigger turn out from the people who'd benefit the most from being there.
