Chris Anderson on Independent Content Creators

Chris C. Anderson is a Senior Editor at the Huffington Post. He was kind enough to talk to me when he came to Taiwan as part of a whistle-stop tour of Asia. In the video of this interview he talked about why he chose to move to China in 2006 and gave advice to any young souls feeling stuck in their home countries who want a change of scenery. In this written part of the interview he talks about the role of user generated content in the future of media and advice for any YouTubers feeling disillusioned after Charlie’s I’m Scared video.

RhymingWithOranges:

Around 2007/08 there was a feel amongst a lot of the mainstream media, especially publications, that user generated content, including vloggers and content creators on YouTube, were their direct competition and the future of the media. It feels like that perception of innovation has disappeared and that content creators are being sucked into a larger business model like Stylish or My Damn Channel, rather than creating their own networks and maybe creating their own equivalent of the Huffington Post. Do you think that there is still a chance for user generated content to become a real competitor in the media without being sucked up into a larger conglomerate?

Chris Anderson:

 I think that people, if they are offered good compensation for something that they have created, that they are always going to look at it.

RWO:

Do you think it loses a certain amount of integrity when that happens?

CA:

I think it loses an amount of its initial juice. That creative spark when you build something, when it gets bought out or you offer it up to somebody, you’re losing that bit of yourself that you put into it. Suddenly you don’t have that control that you had over it, when you were number one.

RWO:

This is something that happens on YouTube quite a lot. Individuals, channels and group projects are being approached by organisations and are being told to have schedules, cover certain content etc…

There is actually a discussion happening now amongst YouTubers, where a lot of content creators have started questioning the quality of their content and the integrity of what they are posting. As a journalist, do you think that this is something that is present over all creative disciplines, or do you this the intimacy of YouTube means that creators on the site means that they are more susceptible to it. Is this something that you have experienced at some point in your career?

CA:

I think everyone runs into a bit of a wall sometimes in terms of creativity. It’s like writer’s block, right? You sit down in front of your keyboard and know you have a good idea and you want to get it out there but for whatever reason your fingers don’t move and your stuck. I don’t think it’s any different for people on YouTube.

However, I think it’s different in how you approach it because you are forced to be in front of a screen as opposed to being behind a screen because you have to always have that same personality. But if you’re a writer it doesn’t matter what you look like or how you act.

You can maybe look back at the content and say that you look good, sound good, think that your presentation is really tight but think, “what the heck was I talking about, why did I say that? I could have said it differently…” and question yourself into a spiral. The next time you’ll be doubting yourself and looking at your content, trying to get it straight the next time, but try not to care about that – just plough through it. You still look good, you still have a following, you still have people who care about what you have to say.

RWO:

And these people are invested in you. I keep on bringing up the fact that we are brands now, and it is in vogue to say that everyone is their own brand and you have to try and get people to invest in your brand whether you’re doing business, selling merchandise or creating content. We seem to be keen on the idea of getting others to get excited about the idea of you and not just the content you create.

CA:

Right, so long as you do go so far out of what you normally do so that you alienate your audience. You know what, if you don’t make the best content one day, just hit it back the next day. Don’t stop doing it. You’re a creative person; just don’t stop.

Chris C. Anderson became a Senior Editor at the Huffington Post in New York after starting his career as a travel and lifestyle journalist in Asia. I met him when he came to National Chengchi University to talk on new media during a trip around Asia. You can find him on Twitter and Tumblr and Pinterest where he posts about East Asia, gaming and travel.

Watching Them Get Gold

They say that boys don’t cry, but I can be a bit of a sobber. Show me Apocalypse Now, Forest Gump or an athlete crying on a podium and the waterworks come forth. The latter occurred yesterday when the South African swimmer, Chad Le Clos won gold last night and beat his hero and the greatest Olympian ever, Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly. I was a mess.

I used to compete as a swimmer. I was never going to make it to the big leagues, but I knew exactly how Le Clos felt as he touched, turned around, and saw that he was the best. From his last 25m where you see his body seizing up from the lactate, his face contorting as he wills his body to keep going, stop hurting and push further. It brought all those memories back from the time I used to compete. Hence, tears poured when he started choking up with a shiney piece of metal around his neck.

Kudos also has to be given to Michael Phelps. He was so gracious in defeat and was so courteous to Le Clos, showing him where to go after the ceremony and handing him the limelight. You saw a slight grin on Phelps’ face as he saw the young South African choke up on stage. To Phelps it would have been another ‘topping on his sundae’, for the young man who beat him it was a shock and it clearly meant the world.

This is why I love sport and love The Games. You get to see people achieve their dream for two weeks solid. This is also a dream that I once had. Anyone who competed in any kind of sport relatively seriously at some point wants to get an Olympic gold. It is just a pleasure to see these deserving, hard-working athletes reach where I never could. I guess that’s also why it’s a bit of a tear jerker.

Legitimate Democracy in China

Whenever I go on a prolonged journey by rail or plane, I decide to treat myself to the glory that is TIME Magazine. I like to think my publication selection gives me a sophisticated air; plus the front pages are pretty.

Funnily enough, when these long trips occur, more often than not a China Special will be plastered on the cover. This will often tell us how China is going to eat us all, the country's rise symbolised by a picture of a dragon, a flag or something else equally non-personal. As a sino-file, I of course lap this up. It's also very nice of them to coincide their editorial decisions with my trips, thank you TIME.

In this week's Special the author of "China in Ten Words", YuHua wrote a short piece calling for political reform if China wants there to be continued economic growth.

Interestingly, YuHua never mentions the word democracy, only reform and more transparency. Part of me finds it refreshing that he declined to call for a Democratic People's Republic of China but also a little annoyed at the wishy-washy suggestions that modern China is like a junction with faulty traffic lights.

The fact is, the Chinese Communist Party is internally seen as a legitimate government by the people. They have lifted 500 million people out of poverty in the past 30 years and are providing an economy that is still growing, albeit at a slower pace now. Why would you put your prosperity into jeopardy by calling for an the implementation of an ideology (democracy) that won't necessarily work?

Honestly, if there were a referendum for a democratic government in the PRC, it probably wouldn't pass.

There have been moves to democratisation that are often cited in western literature, namely the community elections in rural villages. But this is simply to provide a different form of legitimacy. Economic growth has not reached these communities, and so they have less reason to support the Party. How do you stop these people feeling disenfranchised and left behind? Give them a say (no matter how small) in how they are governed.

Legitimate your power by giving the masses more money, property and the chance to buy Louis Vuitton. Keep the rest happy by distracting them with sudo-democracy. Get on with overtaking the USA.

Bugger all this democracy bollocks, it didn't work for the Greeks!

Why Obama's views on Gay Marriage are Important

The last day or so I have born witness to a kerfuffle online in response the the US President's comments on one of the largest civil rights issues of modern times, that of gay people having the right to marry.

It seems unsurprising that it was the first black President who happened to be a Democrat who became the first serving US President to come out in favour of the issue. It was the timing that shocked me though. In the UK we are having the same debate, but support for gay marriage is high with a Telegraph poll recently showing public support for gay marriage at 78%. Here politicians are reacting in line with the public mood, but Obama has stuck his neck out on an issue that still cuts a fissure through American society. This is surprising in the run up to an election as well as the fact that two groups on whose vote the incumbent President relies, blacks and hispanics, are amongst the most sceptical about the issue.

It's is, however, worth mentioning that a few of Obama's cabinet, including Vice-President Biden, had started the ball rolling a week or so before. It is unclear as to whether their announcements were planned or not.

Buy why would I be interested in what the US President thinks on this issue when I'm in a country where I will be able to marry whomever I want by the end of this parliamentary term (fingers crossed)? The fact is this is going to be huge for gay rights internationally. I have seen how the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office have, quite literally, flown the flag for gay rights around the world; it has become common to see the rainbow flag flying above a British embassy or consulate during Pride events in different countries in support of foreign LGBT communities. If the most powerful nation in the world begins to take a similar stance then this could be pivotal for the international gay rights movement. Obama has stated that it should still be up to the states to decide their stance on the issue, which I think is fair despite some criticisms from gay commentators. Gay marriage should be wanted by the people and not force-fed, lest resentment of LGBT people becomes worse. But with this kind of ideology at the top, internationally we can hope that stances will evolve.

SitC 2011

As per usual, I have been in charge of putting together the Summer in the City Publication. As per usual again, we went right down to the wire but you will all (well... the first 350 of you to give us money) get your 16 page SitC souvenir this year packed full of advice, commentary and pretty drawings.

As a little taster of the publication and next weekend, here is a sneak peak of my forward.


It’s not a lie; some YouTube careers are born more equal than others. Some have the funds to buy the best equipment from the start, some get sponsored by big companies, some of us are cuter than others, some don’t have to deal with firewalls and there are those that are just more talented than others – don’t you just hate the talented people?

That said, we all have one thing in common; we all started from zero. There was a point in every YouTube channel’s life where the number under subscribers said, “0”.

This is worth remembering now that our gathering turns three and YouTube turns 6. It can be very easy for those of us that haven’t been as successful as others, and those of us that are just starting on the site, to look at those with huge success with envious eyes. “Why is that not me?” we may cry. Just remember that if you encounter someone with more subscribers, they were once on the same rung of the ladder as you.

It doesn’t just go for the negative. YouTubers sometimes have a tendency to put those on the site who are more successful on high pedestals. If you are scared to go up to a person at this gathering which you are attending, remember that they were once in the same position; a nobody in the crowd of what felt like the coolest most talented people in the world. Swallow that fear and go and talk to those who you admire, I can guarantee both sides will be happier for it.

That said; if you are a fan-girl, please keep the screaming to a minimum...

Demolition

You very often hear about decisions by the Chinese government displacing people, their homes and businesses for the sake of modernisation. Destructions of huge areas of traditional housing called Hutongs during the revamp of Beijing in run up to the Olympics and the flooding of whole towns when the Three Gorges Dam was built. Quite often people are given very little warning and whether or not they receive compensation is a bit hit and miss.

You hear about these stories, you know they happen and you know that it is unfair, but it’s very different when it happens to someone you know.

Outside the foreign student dormitory here in Nanjing there are a couple of shops lined outside ready for our custom selling all manner of goods; alcohol, cigarettes, soft drinks, instant noodles etc. We have spent long summer nights sitting outside their shabby shops drinking, playing cards, teaching them rude words in English. A fond memory of mine was watching the World Cup last year huddled around tiny TV screens when all of a sudden every Chinese person knew the name of each player on every European team.

Today one of these shops was ripped down. They are renovating the whole area around the foreign student dorms, ripping out railings and painting bricks onto newly painted maroon walls. One teacher proudly told us that it was being redesigned to look like Europe. My French friend and I rolled our eyes.

The owners of the shop were told yesterday that they had ten days to move out. They were then told at noon today that their shop was going to be ripped out this evening. All their goods were dragged out onto the street by four o’clock for the demolition at around 6. Mounds of corrugated iron and brick now lay where the little shop once stood.

What is frustrating is that we can do nothing about it. No petition to sign, no MP to call, no channels what-so-ever to give these people some kind of a voice. “没办法,” Mei ban fa, "there is no way," as the owners have told us. There is no point in trying because we all know nothing can be done.

We are now trying to host a little party on the steps outside the student dorm to try and help them get rid of their stock before they are inevitably moved on. I’m going to break out my long neglected ukulele and hopefully make an evening of it. These people have made it that much easier for many of us to partake in binge drinking and satisfy our early morning urges for instant noodles for years. This is the least we can do.

If you’re reading this and are in Nanjing, I hope to see you there. If you are not, appreciate the fact you are protected from this happening to you.

Idiocy on the Internet

The last few months has seen the Internet praised beyond belief. Corrupt and repressive regimes throughout the Middle-East challenged and toppled through the wonders of Facebook and Twitter - two sites which seem to be compared to the left and right hand of justice as of late. It was pointed out by a Tunisian woman on BBC's The World Tonight on Radio 4 that these were simply the catalyst. It was the Al Jazeera television news network that gave these Facebook groups legitimacy, these tweets a wider audience. The woman quite rightly pointed out,

"Nearly everyone has a TV in Tunisia, much fewer people have Facebook."

I don't want to take away from the ongoing success these mediums are having, but without mainstream media validating the online happenings, it is possible the movement that is still sweeping the middle east would have not had the impact it has had; restricted to those who use and have access to these technologies.

New media, the voice of the individual is talked up a lot nowadays. It is even suggested that independent by the twitter generation will overtake mainstream media, the BBCs and the CNNs, in the future.

In my opinion, those claims are cods-wallop.

Yes, any television show even remotely concerned with keeping up with the times has to have a "tweet us" section, but it is still these traditional form of media that validate what is said online, otherwise Twitter just lives up to its name.

A case in point is the death of Michael Jackson. People were tweeting about the fact he had died way before anyone had announced it. It was famously broken by the celebrity and entertainment blog, TMZ, but even then the mainstream news knew that it was their job to wait until a official announcement. If a blog breaks news, you have to take it with a pinch of salt.

I believe this is the future of the traditional media providers; the calm voice, telling everyone to shut up until official people speak.

I've been thinking about this because at 10 o'clock this morning I received a text that told me a nuclear reactor had blown up in Japan and I was going to get showered with radioactive rain within the next 48 hours. I proceeded to forward the text onto anyone I knew warning them to stay indoors, wear a mackintosh and rub iodine on their thyroids.

Texts sent, I began to question what I had just done; sending the whole city of Nanjing into blind panic because of one text. I got online, checked BBC, and lo and behold we were fine. No acid rain, no nuclear explosion, just a bit of leakage and people being paranoid of nuclear energy in America. There was even a government statement from the Philippine government warning about the exact text I had just received that was circulating through the Asian expat community.

Quickly send another text apologising for the panic I had caused.

The fact is community based media is all well and good when it comes to commentary and gossip but when it comes to hard facts and investigative journalism, Twitter, Blogger and even shows like mine on YouTube are way behind the professionals.