Future of Media!

May 9, 2008 on 3:04 pm | In Other-NewMedia, - Jauretsi |

I Want My Media

(Truffaut’s Farenheit 451. Opening Credits)

When I was in high-school, I was blown away by the first 5 minutes of Truffaut’s film, Farenheit 451 (Michael Moore would later bite the title for his Farenheit 911). It’s a series of antennas only… no written words on screen, only an unseen voice mechanically speaking — Actors names, DP name, Director name. The lack of written word on screen opens the film. Suddenly, you get this eerie feeling someone else is in charge.

The original novel was written by Ray Bradbury in 1953. Truffaut’s 1966 film adaptation shows huge flatscreen TV’s, interactive television, obsessive narcissism, and the slow death of book-reading. It’s insane how they nailed the new millennium. The themes are too deep get into, but in short, the tale is about Media — the control of it, the fight for it, the propaganda behind it, and the rebels that seek to liberate all information for everyone. It’s a look into the future (written in 1953) about how we consume information.

The fireman of the future don’t put out fires, they create them — burning classic literature and creating book bonfires. The individuals saving the books (some by memorizing them) are called “book people”. I should point out the sick art-direction too. The fireman look like they are rocking Prada suits…. Julie Christie is an elegant leading lady, too.

(Farenheit 451’s Fireman confiscating Literature)

Anyway, flash forward to today. If you see the classic Truffaut film, you can easily swap out “book people” for “blog people”. This new form of media is something that is trickier to stop. Police can’t really come to your home to take your blogs. They can’t burn them. Information is just way too much out there.

This leads me to my next thought — the invitation of more philosophical chit chat concerning Media will take place in New York City next month. A panel of leading journalists will gather to discuss the transformation of the traditional media landscape. Blogs, social-networks, and online videos are shaking up the stronghold that newspapers, magazines, books, and television once held.

Moderator Patrick Phillips is the founder of I Want Media (a Media News & Resources website) and an adjunct professor in the NYU Journalism Department. “The Future of Media” will be held in conjunction with the inaugural Internet Week New York, a week-long festival of events celebrating New York’s Internet industry.

June 4, 2008 at New York University

I Want Media’s first-ever discussion forum includes:
• David Carr- New York Times media columnist
• Keith J. Kelly- New York Post media reporter
• Kenneth Li- Reuters global media correspondent
• Diane Mermigas, MediaPost editor at large and columnist
• Johnnie L. Roberts- Newsweek senior writer covering media
• Erick Schonfeld- TechCrunch co-editor
• Michael Wolff- Vanity Fair media columnist

This free, non-profit forum will be held in the Television Studio in the NYU Journalism Department’s new facility at 20 Cooper Square. Seating is limited.

To RSVP, please contact: Kate Panuska, NYU Journalism Department, telephone 212-992-9842, or email panuska@nyu.edu