What is Media?

Twenty-first century media is global, social, ubiquitous and cheap and has transferred to an amateur media environment where the 'audience' are now full participants (Clay Shirky, 2010). What Shirky is describing is a move away from traditional media and communications practice, that was structured around the principle of control.

Traditionally, key corporate messages were distributed from business via accepted channels (ie: fax, telephone, Beta tapes and more recently email) staffed by professional communicators and media production specialists towards a new media reality where the focus is on convening groups of supporters, not controlling them with a single crafted corporate message 'pushed' through the mainstream corporate media entities of print, broadcast and online.

While these professional journalism, media structures and corporate hierarchies still exist and prosper, thanks to technological advances in computers, mobile telephony and new media, they also exist alongside not only each other but new social media platforms which enable an entirely new style of conversation, consumption and participation.

According to Outlook, Australian's were the highest consumers of social media globally in 2009.
Neilsen's global media report released in July 2010, also reported Australian's had the highest global average of social media engagement at seven (7) hours per month, visiting communities of interest ie:sport and parenting sites.

So how do Australian's engage with social media in these communities?

I am currently researching both corporate, player and fan engagement in the online rugby community.

What I have discovered so far:

• ARU uses Facebook and Twitter as a sales and PR space. Fan engagement is juvenille although it incorporates into the design other platforms such as Youtube and yfrog.
• Of the state unions, the ACT Brumbies seem to be the only ones to understand the two-way (dialogic) and interactive nature of social media.
• Only a handful of high profile athletes Tweet (although every now and then a new one sneaks tentatively online and calls out for help - which is GREAT to see - because that's exactly what the social media platform is about: engagement. Although they tend to talk to each other or other high profile sporting professionals across the sports (league and swimming), rather than directly with fans.
• Hardly any players utilise facebook for individual 'brand me' or 'me inc' development
• Current management are not engaged, although past Australian coaches and management have / are developing strong online expert profiles and embracing the new and social media technologies.

Social Media Revolution

Data Visualization: Social Media in Pictures

Supervisor says blog, so blog I will

I met with my supervisor last Friday (yes, I am writing my dissertation / thesis) and she recommended that I blog about my on-going research.

I suspect there are a plethora of reasons for this, one of which is to develop my critical reading and writing skills (which is a lot harder than it sounds when you return to tertiary studies mid-career).

Anyway, given that my dissertation topic is social media usage in rugby, I guess it's appropriate that I start sharing the key insights from my daily readings with those of you who will invariably stumble here into This Business Called Sport.

So please forgive my indulgence in advance, but I do hope you may find a grain or two of insight from my soon to be wall of words.

Yours in the blogosphere,

Tiff Junee

White Space is Key Online

I have been spending A LOT of time in cyberspace of late - moreso than usual.

Not surprisingly, I've noticed new trends re: how individuals (both trained and citizen journalists) are actually developing their 'online voice' - the charming and evolving skill - we all continue to refine.

However,  they are doing so at the expense of readability with layouts mirroring the traditional designs of the printed page.

IMHO paragraphs are both the blogger and readers best friend.

Lots of white space is the key to keeping online readers engaged.

So in the interests of practising what I preach... Enjoy the white space and remember interesting topics and brevity of prose will be greatly appreciated by most. Don't you think? :)