|
Is MySpace entering the news fray? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by asap
|
|
Tuesday, 13 March 2007 |
|
|
|
|
The buzz on the blogs — really across the Internet by Monday — was that social networking site MySpace.com has plans to launch a news service for its members. And keep in mind that MySpace is already owned by a media giant — News Corp., whose holdings include cable television stations, newspapers and magazines.
MySpace had no comment on Monday, so this is far from confirmed.
But asap wondered, what if...?
So we called Howard Finberg, director of interactive learning at the Poynter Institute, a research and training institute for journalists in St. Petersburg, Fla., and asked him to consider the implications of combining social networking with news.
“There’s something going on out there,” Finberg said. “We just don’t know what it is. It’s going to make some people upset and it’s going to make some people see an opportunity.”
Here’s some more of what Finberg had to say:
———
asap: What do you think could be going on here?
Finberg: It sounds like they’re talking about bringing in news feeds. That becomes interesting because who will they bring in? And that sort of thing should be of great interest to the media industry.
The fundamental question is, what is the definition of news if MySpace decides to go ahead and create a news service? So if they’re offering news, where will they get it from and will it have to stay within the MySpace space, or will there be partnerships with other news providers?
———
asap: MySpace users are known to be young. Could something like this bring more news to young people?
Finberg: There is a segment of that audience that does not pay any attention to news. These are people with self-described habits of not accessing any of the news sites, whether it be print, broadcast or online. And we know MySpace users are passionate about going to the site, with about half reporting that they go every day.
So the potential to expose them to stories that could be of importance to them — that could be a good thing.
———
asap: How could this affect the media?
Finberg: It does make life harder for, say, legacy media outlets to figure out where to put their time and their energy. It does mean more potential competition, but frankly I would hope it also means an opportunity for those who can figure it out to tap into the MySpace community, to give them content that is relevant to them.
... I don’t mean just pandering to young people; you have to figure out what it is they want at the local level as well as the national and international.
———
Caryn Rousseau is an asap reporter based in Kansas City, Mo. | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
