4 ms·

I think this article may be overstating the point through its use of the term "mainstream media" to refer to sites like the Gawker Media network. Those guys hav

I think this article may be overstating the point through its use of the term "mainstream media" to refer to sites like the Gawker Media network. Those guys have had the same business model for upward of a decade, and the only change the rise of sites like Reddit has made to that model is that it's now even easier for them to find content to syndicate.* When The Washington Post and the New Yorker and the BBC are sourcing their big stories from Reddit -- that is when I'd be alarmed. *...err, syndicate implies paying the original content owners. Is there a word for credited and monetized reproduction of media without profit sharing?

cerales 13y ago
Indeed. Nice little sleight of hand where the article reference "mainstream media" and then switches to "mainstream blog media" before citing any examples.
mindcrime 13y ago
When The Washington Post and the New Yorker and the BBC are sourcing their big stories from Reddit -- that is when I'd be alarmed. Just because they aren't grabbing stuff straight from Reddit (or hell, maybe they are, who knows?) doesn't mean Reddit doesn't influence those outlets as well. Look at Ryan Holiday's book[1] where he talks about "trading up the chain" and how lower tier sources influence the ones just above them, who influence the ones above them, etc. It seems like it's fairly possible for something to go from reddit -> minor blog -> major blog -> small local tv station -> AP wire -> Washington Post, or something similar. Throw something on Reddit, buy a few upvotes, selectively support it with some bogus Wikipedia edits (sure, they'll be reverted eventually, but probably not until the damage is done) and submit yourself to "help" some journalists on HARO or Pitchrate and you can wreak all sorts of havoc on the news media. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_Me,_I%27m_Lying http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_Me,_I%27m_Lying

cerales 13y ago

Indeed. Nice little sleight of hand where the article reference "mainstream media" and then switches to "mainstream blog media" before citing any examples.

mindcrime 13y ago

When The Washington Post and the New Yorker and the BBC are sourcing their big stories from Reddit -- that is when I'd be alarmed. Just because they aren't grabbing stuff straight from Reddit (or hell, maybe they are, who knows?) doesn't mean Reddit doesn't influence those outlets as well. Look at Ryan Holiday's book[1] where he talks about "trading up the chain" and how lower tier sources influence the ones just above them, who influence the ones above them, etc. It seems like it's fairly possible for something to go from reddit -> minor blog -> major blog -> small local tv station -> AP wire -> Washington Post, or something similar. Throw something on Reddit, buy a few upvotes, selectively support it with some bogus Wikipedia edits (sure, they'll be reverted eventually, but probably not until the damage is done) and submit yourself to "help" some journalists on HARO or Pitchrate and you can wreak all sorts of havoc on the news media. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_Me,_I%27m_Lying http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_Me,_I%27m_Lying