by A.man.I

The UNITY ’08 Conference is all but a done deal. My associate Mario Page and I spent four days networking, mixing, mingling, and seeing the sights around town.

The experience confirmed what I already suspected, the profession of journalism is in big trouble. Al Tompkins with the Poynter Institute characterized it as “sick.” The digital space has been extremely disruptive to the business model of corporate media, and until a profitable advertising model is developed the layoffs and buyouts that have marked 2008 will continue.

What’s encouraging is all of the interest in digital media. I met plenty of folks who want to learn more about blogs, social media and multi-media production. The problem is is that many traditional print and broadcast professionals as well as many of the educational institutions are lagging behind in this space.

I believe this presents several opportunities, and I’m focusing my efforts to reach out to organizations that are interested in media training and education to narrow the digital media gap.

My thoughts as far as some future trends are that print and broadcast organizations alike need to shift their focus on low cost content production and distribution. This could mean contracting with more freelancers, adopting a video journalism or citizen journalism model, and utilizing some of the free and popular social media destinations to connect with the audience.

No, this isn’t the end of professional journalism, but we have entered the era of participatory media, and it will take a blending of all forms of media to help companies survive.

The reality is that readers and viewers no longer wait for the news to be delivered. Online news is on-demand, and people are re-mixing it, linking, sharing, and commenting on stories that capture their attention.

For a broadcast journalist lost in cyberspace like me, this is a fascinating time. The Internet has truly democratized the media, and I appreciate the opportunity to have this conversation with you.

I want to thank all of my friends both new and old, and the future business associates I met over the past few days. It was a tear!

Check out the photos below.