NOV 18 — Beware all broadcast media professionals! Take heed of recent international media news (if you’ve been keeping abreast, of course!).
This week, CNN, that great global 24-hour news network, just laid off a significant number of their staff from their offices around the United States.
Among those let go were journalists, cameramen and editors. The reason, said senior V-P Jack Womack, is the change in workflow due to current technology.
An internal memo he wrote that is available online states:
“Technology investments in our newsrooms now allow more desktop editing and publishing for broadcast and online. This evolution allows more people in more places to edit and publish than ever before. As a result of these technology and workflow changes, CNN is reducing the number of media editors in our work force in Atlanta. … Consumer and prosumer technologies are simpler and more accessible. Small cameras are now high broadcast quality. More of this technology is in the hands of more people. After completing this analysis, CNN determined that some photojournalists will be departing the company.”
Apparently (obviously!), technology and the media have developed so much that what used to take whole production teams to do can now be achieved by single individuals.
Surprise! Surprise! I have been preaching, and practising, this for many years now. Almost 10 years, to be exact. And people are only realising this now?
The Malaysian media hasn’t really been hit yet. Although I’ve been producing content for them in the past few years, a single solo-journalist can’t really make much impact.
But once it hits, it’s going to hit hard. Broadcast organisations in the country will realise that they can save so much and be much more efficient.
I have seen this firsthand as I am a part of several international media organisations that currently utilise this method to produce news and current affairs content.
These organisations (news agencies and television stations) are all managed by a small team of producers and editors in their head offices.
They have individual correspondents (solo-journalists like myself who shoot and edit our own stories) all around the world instead of expensive offices and bureaus.
Hence, they have a small, efficient and, most importantly, cheap team. But the content that is produced can rival the best and biggest agencies and broadcasters.
(Check these media organisations out — GlobalPost.com, VJMovement.com and Metropolistv.nl — and see what I mean.)
Jobs will definitely be threatened and my prediction is that there will be many who will suddenly find themselves out of work.
Who will stay? It will definitely be the people who are willing to shift their mindsets and not just work in the area that they are comfortable in.
Producers and journalists will have to learn to be more technical with camera equipment and editing software rather than just write stories.
Cameramen and editors will have to start concentrating on content and storytelling instead of just looking through their lenses and monitors.
I really see this as good news for broadcast professionals because, if you think about it, this really means that there will actually be a demand for video content.
The only thing is, this demand will have to be fulfilled by a single person who has to deliver the entire final product.
Basically, the people who are willing to embrace the development of the technology and the evolution of the media will not only stay, they will thrive.
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.
