The Buggles song was the first played on MTV on August 1, 1981.
ABC’s 20/20 asks if privacy is dead.
There’s no denying that instant video has changed the media landscape. Celebrity, politics, law enforcement… and you. Search ‘nose picking’ on YouTube.
Jeff Jarvis, media blogger, calls it “small tv” and suggests that beyond the “flaming farts” there are video gems that are being overlooked.
What does this mean for communication professionals?
It’s important to understand the implications of viral video:
- Notoriety and celebrity are completely interchangeable. In a PT Barnum-esque way, any YouTube is good YouTube?
- The generation of late high school and college-age young adults would rather be “embarrassed publicly than ignored privately.“
- Cameras are everywhere! I spent New Year’s Eve on The Strip in Las Vegas. While the sea of humanity was enough to provide video for days, I was struck by the sheer number of video cameras surfing above the crowd. People filming with one arm up in the air. We also saw several arrests for disorderly conduct. And the cameras were rolling. Had the Vegas PD misstepped, it would’ve been instantly available for the world to see.
Anything remotely interesting can show up on the Internet and be shared and viewed millions of times over.
There seems to be no limit to what we (as a society) are interested in watching. Saddam Hussein’s hanging – in full – was available within 24 hours of his death. More than 1500 videos are available.
We must be prepared, as PRos, to help clients and companies navigate the new media landscape. And to do that, like any channel of communication, we must be consumers of that media. We must understand how it works and who uses it. Uses and Gratifications Theory is a whole lot more complicated than it once was.
