The Observer reports an interesting decision over at the Daily Mail. With the retirement of its television critic Peter Paterson, it has opted to replace him with… no-one. Since television reviews are among the best-read sections of any newspaper, the decision seemed perverse. But, as Peter Preston explains, it is actually cleverly calculated:
Once upon a time, television was full of national moments: mass audiences of 10 million or more tuning in and wanting to follow through the next day. But now that audience – fragmented across hundreds of channels – has virtually ceased to exist. Most of the time, any review of any show can only be valuable to a relatively small percentage of readers. Soaps? An exception, perhaps: you can catch up with them in the Saturday supplements. But through-the-week reviews have lost their relevance, just like television’s dominance of mass entertainment. (Goodnight ITV!) Use the space for more listings and previews, then, if you must. But recognise that the world has moved on.
I trust the bearing of this on the topic of this blog is pretty clear, even though I’ve never commented on broadcast TV. The role of ‘official opinion former’ seems, at least for the time being, to be something of an anachronism as almost every member of the audience is able to create a platform for their own opinions and to challenge those of others. Despite the fact that’s it’s a disgraceful Tory rag, the Daily Mail has actually done more than many traditional media owners in breaking down barriers between journalists and audience. Already, readers can comment on any story, even the front page headlines. Their recognition of a new reality when it comes to op/ed – that I and other readers feel as qualified to dive into the discussion as a seasoned hack. Editors become moderators and talent scouts as that discussion evolves.
Earlier this month, Jeff Jarvis noted that Guardian Online has taken similar steps with its arts and entertainment coverage, throwing its columnists into a conversation with other critics – the former audience. (More: another paper bins its critics)
“Editors become moderators and talent scouts as that discussion evolves.” is probably one of most profound things I have read on your blog. It speaks to the multi-way conversation that blogs have created.
Nice!
Thanks, Vern. I owe the credit to Jeff Jarvis though, who has been championing this point of view for some time.