New Media Workshop

In an internet era, it has always been a question for journalists to use materials available from the internet properly.

Foust’s main idea is that we should first assume everything we see online as something that belongs to others, just like any ordinary goods. In that sense, we will not accidentally break the law and get into trouble. It is a rather good principle to be taught and learnt, and even if we are in a hurry for out stories, we should follow all these instructions. The same rule applies in daily lives, that even if you are hungry, you will not steal from others, though others may probably not know something has been stolen from them.

And, we have measures to avoid that. For weekly publications, it is not a problem after all, because most needed materials are downloaded and saved from pre-paid organisations. Therefore, actually those working in daily publications are the ones who need to pay more attention on this matter. Following this procedure is a feasible way to achieve in some sense. And in the worst case, simply leave out the photos, I think it is always better to have a time or two not having a relevant great photo alongside with the article, then to get yourself and your working organisation into trouble.

However, to Lessig, he uprights the idea that “every important sector of big media… was born of a kind of piracy”. In fact, he is right. Printing techonology allows the free flow or information, and the next is the radio braodcasting and then TV, now the internet is going to bring a new wave to the current stage. And, internet is a convergence of all these means of communication therefore it is expected to “be born of a kind of piracy” which would strongly impact the current copyright system.

I agree that we should try to make full use of all these opportunities in dealing with the matter, as internet this specific media really helps us a lot in gathering information etc. But before everything is settled, we could not just uphold such an idea that as “something is be born of a kind of piracy” so that we act according to it. I know he does not mean that after all, anyway, I agree to Foust’s idea, and I think we should work faster in solving the problem, which allows us to make full use of the internet resources.

Heavens describes that he would put all photos not being bought onto Flickr, it is a rather nice idea to me, and probably to most journalists. In the past, journalists have nowhere to share stories and pictures not suitable or ‘good enough’ to appear on the newspaper, even if they do have a chance, it does not last long.

With this Creative Commons, Heavens does get some freelance opportunities, why not others then?

Besides, Creative Commons is really a nice idea to welcome as it is a way to ‘release’ materials owners willing to share with others. Traditional way of copyright could not really match with the tight schedule in an internet era. Therefore, it not only creates an opportunity for journalists to ’sell’ themselves, it also allows news organisations to find materials they needed in an much easier way.