- Alfred Hermida
- 30 Apr 06, 11:30 AM
It looks like actor Richard Dreyfuss will pull no punches when he address this week's We Media conference in London. In an he lays into the media for creating what he calls "shaped news." What he means is that the mainstream media creates a version of events which is out of sync with what people really want.
Dreyfuss seems particularly upset with the fast-paced, instant, 24/7 world of news we now live in, where events appear on TV screens as they happen. "There is no time to pause, no room to think," he said.
It will be interesting to see how a roomful of mainstream media representatives, such as the head of the 大象传媒 and boss of Reuters, respond when Dreyfuss challenges them at the We Media forum.
- Alfred Hermida
- 27 Apr 06, 10:02 AM
In the run-up to next week's We Media conference in London, the 大象传媒 is running an e-survey asking people for their views on trust in the media. The aim is to sample international opinion on the subject, with the survey running on the 大象传媒 News website, various 大象传媒 language websites and on Yahoo.
If you want to make your views heard and compare them to the rest of the world, go to take part in the e-survey.
- Alfred Hermida
- 26 Apr 06, 03:34 PM
One of the big themes of the We Media event in London is trust. The sponsors of the event have sponsored a global survey to find out if people believe what they read in newspapers, hear on the radio, watch on TV or click on online.
The results are out on Wednesday 3 May and you'll be able to read all about it on the 大象传媒 News website and download the report in full.
The question of trust is paramount in an age where news is everywhere and anyone can report their view of the world. Does this mean you have less faith in what is called the big media like the 大象传媒 and CNN? Or does it have the opposite effect, meaning you rely even more on established media with a reputation for accuracy and objectivity? It will certainly make for a lively debate.
The 大象传媒 We Media blog will provide live coverage of the the debates and ideas coming out of the We Media global forum.
This is a two-day conference being held in London on 3 and 4 May, hosted by the 大象传媒, Reuters and the US-based think-tank the Media Center.
The event is looking at issues like trust, the role of media in a connected society and the power of consumers to make the news through citizen journalism.
It is a pretty exclusive gathering, and not just because of the $795 registration fee. But you will be able to follow the discussions here and also by watching our live stream from the conference.
The aim of the blog is to offer a way of tapping into the thoughts and ideas from some of the world's most interesting minds in the world of media and technology.
Of course, there will be a way to leave your comments and tell us how the digital era is changing the way you get your news.
Alfred Hermida is technology editor of the 大象传媒 News website. As a pioneer in online journalism, he was a founding member of the news site set up in 1997.
Alfred has worked as a journalist for the 大象传媒 for 16 years, starting out as a news trainee.
After spending time at the TV newsroom, World Service and Westminster, he headed abroad to Tunisia and Egypt.
He spent four years as a foreign correspondent in the Middle East for the 大象传媒, covering military coups, presidential assassinations and the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
On his return to London, Alfred worked on 大象传媒 World TV before his interest in the internet led him to the 大象传媒 News website. He was part of the team that set up the award-winning website in 1997, steering daily news coverage as day editor.
In 2001, he launched a dedicated technology section at the 大象传媒 News site, combining his passion for the web and for new media.
