An opening...

(fig. 1: Wellington Street, Ottawa, September 30, 2006)

So is it too much of a cliché to say that these are interesting times when it comes to media? In fact, a lot about life in the world of new media is about cliche. Sure, we all know that there are more channels for content than ever before. And we know that more and more people are making their own video and starting their own blogs. For those who take advantage of this gift, like "The Show with ZeFrank" the dividends are terrific. For others who use it to post pictures of "American Idol" contestant Antonella Barba in the loo, the results aren't so hot. And sure, we hear a lot about the twin tendencies about democratization of distribution through sites like BitTorrent on the one side, and the consolidation of media ownership and attempted undermining of net neutrality on the other. And we already know that “old media” like the film industry finds itself on the ropes, and that politics has been changed by the internet. Finally, a trip to any gas station, donut shop, or elevator is all you need to see that there are more screens in public places than ever before (see the special issue of the online journal First Monday, for more), and media have become an important aspect in architectural design (such the LED display in Chicago's Millennium Park).

For Canadians, the times are particularly interesting. The CBC has never been in a weaker position to continue operating, there are major decisions forthcoming on the ownership of media corporations in the wake of massive mergers involving CTV and CHUM, Canwest Global and Alliance Atlantis, and Astral and Standard; and there are major copyright issues to be settled on net neutrality in Canada, the future of copyright, the emergence of new platforms to view Canadian content, and so on.

But there are other forces at play, too.

Although it's clear there is a fracturing of cultural production and consumption, it would be premature to ring the death knell on mass culture. A lot of people still buy CDs in record stores, watch television when its on, spend a night at the movies, listen to AM radio, and buy albums by Michael Bublé. It's also safe to say that most of the 34 million people that watch shows like “American Idol” don’t blog about it, join chat rooms, or watch excellent vlogs like "Idol Critic". Heck, many of them don’t even use their PVR’s or Tivo's to tape them.

This really isn't surprising, because it's also true that while a substantial part of the world doesn't even have access to the Internet, those that do aren't as adventurous as we would like to think. The Pew Internet and American Life study shows that while a number of people use the internet, many are awfully conservative -- or utilitarian -- in their use. Of American adults that use the Internet, 91% of them use it to check e-mail, 91% of them use it to pump information into a search engine, 84% use it check for a map for driving directions, and 78% hit the Internet for the weather. 19% "create content for the internet", 16% use social networking sites, 8% "create or work" on blogs.

Now I’m not poo-pooing the rise of participatory culture – I’m all for it. And it's also the case that this story is only at the beginning, and that those numbers would likely change by the end of the next decade. And I'm not saying that these developments aren't transforming culture and politics -- because that would be dumb. But it's important to remember that between the puffery of those involved in the new economy and those either too old or too tired to participate in it, many still make plans to be home in time to watch CSI, using their digital technology only to program their alarm clocks for the next morning before drifting off to sleep. If the revolution is indeed taking place, there are still many too busy programming their VCR to be part of it.

So consider this blog an occasional digest about how the sharper and duller aspects on the cutting edge of the world of abundant media are affecting life here in Canada. Sometimes it'll be a post about the latest developments in Canadian cultural policy; other times a link to an exhibit on Swiss poster design. Since I take great pride in being about five steps behind popular culture (starting a blog nowadays is a pretty good indicator of that, no?), I'll probably end up writing about the Arcade Fire, "24", or "mash-ups" as if you've never heard of them. Perhaps this is the academic's luxury, but I see being just slightly behind the times as an opportunity for a little critical distance. At least that's the story I tell myself.

Feel free to syndicate this blog by following the link below to save yourself the trouble of checking all the time to find I haven't posted in a while. The bazillion other responsibilities that take up my life mean I'll post whenever I can. If you’re looking for up-to-date news on new media, you’ve got to check out my good friend and colleague Mike Newman’s blog, zigzigger, for that. He is far hipper than moi.

So hopefully you'll enjoy this blog and you won't feel the same way many do when they visit Ottawa: That it's a nice place to visit -- once.