Rafiq Phillips and I attended an event where the winner of the Mxit PC Client competition was announced. The event was held in Stellenbosch, a beautiful university town in the Cape Winelands, and home to Mxit. But this post is not about the event itself – it is about the reporting of the event.
The PC Client competition launched by Mxit was an important initiative in the context of the South-African technology space, where open source development is often not well supported by the larger players. Mxit is a large player in the South African online space, and their support of an open source initiative therefore lends a great deal of credence to such initiatives. Given the importance of the event, Mxit invited a number of “traditional media” journalists, as well as new media reporters – the latter being represented by Rafiq Phillips, both a member of SWAT, and a well-known South African blogger and Search Engine Marketing specialist.
Here is Rafiq’s reporting of the event – all culled from Twitter:
new MXitPC Client – Blendit http://ff.im/-4LRpi11:18 PM Jul 3rd from FriendFeed
Chris Stranex [pic] http://ff.im/-4LRpj11:18 PM Jul 3rd from FriendFeed
Mxitpc winner of R100k chris stranex wrote it in #python9:22 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
@geekrebel umami restaurant9:10 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
Doin a pull the biz card out of the bowl for a samsung music phone #mxitpc9:02 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
3rd place R5k, 2nd R10k winner R100k #mxitpc8:59 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
U can find links to all the #mxitpc clients in my latest blog post www.webaddict.co.za8:57 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
#java #python #c++ respect8:49 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
One of the finalists grade 10 guy, wrote the client in #python #mxitpc8:46 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
#mxitpc 110 entries received only 11 were ‘workable’ apps8:44 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
#mxitpc Winners receive prize money & offer of employment. What a way to do job interviews8:43 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
Blogging coming to mxit too, micro-blogging ? #mxitpc8:39 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
Classifieds prototype section coming to mxit #mxitpc8:37 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
#pidgin compatible mxit out soon #mxitpc8:35 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
Mxit 5.9 coming soon with social networking capabilities #mxitpc8:33 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
Every second 500 users are logging in #mxitpc8:27 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
http://twitpic.com/963gx – Think @geekrebel will like this #skyrove8:26 PM Jul 3rd from TwitPic
Juan du Toit doin the welcome blabla #mxitpc ceo herman heunis now up8:21 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
Sitting next to @gustible #mxitpc8:05 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
mxitpc the magician does the same intro as @marcel_perform8:04 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
A journo says: ‘I don’t blog, i write columns’ #mxitpc8:00 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
At the #mxitpc event… Orange juice please7:51 PM Jul 3rd from m.slandr.net
later peeps, getting ready for the #mxitpc event later, ciao5:19 PM Jul 3rd from API
MXit Dev Zone [pic] http://ff.im/-4KItc2:08 PM Jul 3rd from FriendFeed
New MXit PC Client to be revelaed tonight http://ff.im/-4KETK1:35 PM Jul 3rd from FriendFeed
My point is this – informally, with no tool other than a mobile phone, Rafiq got the news out – as it happened. I do not want to rehash the old arguments of print vs electronic media here, but there is an important lesson to be learned by print-media journalists: news is about content, and timely delivery.
Whether that delivery channel is a virtually costless electronic channel or whether that content is delivered in 140 character chunks does not detract from the worth and usability of the content. The only people who care about that content in print format, are people who are never going to use Mxit anyway.
I contend that it would be a good idea for print journalists to reconsider the type of content they print on paper, and to broaden their horizons to include electronic and new media. The combination of the immediacy of electronic media, and the more analytical approach that traditional media allows would create truly valuable content.
Get the full story of the launch on Rafiq’s blog.
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July 6th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I fear you might be confusing PR with News, and reporting with journalism. See my Dylan twitter review (an SA first, i like to think), for example, as difference between impressions vs criticism.
News isn’t defined as ‘stuff you get out quickly in case someone else beats you to the eyeballs’. It’s defined as stuff people need to know, and need to have contextualised. I speak as a total Web 2.0 convert.
July 6th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Oh, the link, sorry.
http://www.channel24.co.za/Content/Music/AlbumReviews/672/125cef09f7a24b7f98d1bc2edd87d2e7//Bob_Dylan_-_Together_Through_Life
July 6th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Good point – I may be conflating journalism and reporting (but not PR and News). Context is missing in my argument (I do think that the medium (twitter) contextualises the content rather nicely). Basic point though is that “new” and “traditional” media are complementary – immediate electronic reporting, and considered journalism (print or otherwise).
July 6th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I think it’s brilliant… the traditional media will always have a big place in my heart.. and I read every paper every day.. but if I want instant news, I go to Twitter.. the mere fact that Rafiq was able to scoop everyone, market his own blog and deliver real news and statistics without ever leaving the event, as well as deliver live snippets is.. quite frankly.. brilliant.
July 6th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
This post is well-titled.
Being one who helps SMEs market their companies, products and services in outlandish ways that require little to no money, I have resorted to call what I do “New Marketing”, and against the background of that I can appreciate the title of this post.
However, as a voracious consumer of one particular Sunday paper’s content, I do not see myself lying on my sofa on a Sunday afternoon, warning those that live with me not to disturb me until such time I put the “Tweetster” down – the reason being I have several dozen news tweets and short tweet-like stories to read, immerse myself in, consume and to an extent broaden my knowledge of current affairs.
From where I stand journalism is the written word in engaging form.
A tweet is something I rather quickly forget.
I must say too, that tweets are gateways to amounts of content that a newspaper could never physically contain, but I am of the opinion that Twitter cannot replace my Sunday Times.
Not too long I downloaded two audiobooks: Made to Stick and The Long Tail. The Long Tail in audio made absolutely no sense to me. Perhaps that is because reading with my eyes and brain has been inculcated since age 5 and the whole ear-brain co-ordination needs to be nurtured and developed.
So perhaps like that, over time we will adapt and the news in 140-character bursts will REALLY replace my beloved Fred Khumalo and Mondli Makhanya Sunday afternoon literary lunches.
July 6th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
couldn’t agree more with this: “Basic point though is that “new” and “traditional” media are complementary – immediate electronic reporting, and considered journalism (print or otherwise).”
July 6th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Forgot to mention that I went and bought The Long Tail book and haven’t begun listening to Made to Stick.. maybe someday.