The Merging of Author and Audience

Forbes Article I’m Ranting About

The rhetorician in me is fascinated by the fact that CNN has now made it standard practice to accept material from anyone willing to upload it. I feel that this is something connected to the fact that technology has allowed us to have so many different syndicated outlets that there is something specialized for small discourse/focus communities. In other words, we can have so many network stations with digital cable and highly specialized advertising. And now, we can have specialized news that we, ourselves, submit as “important.” Granted...the editors still have control over what makes it in; however, this is definitely another venue to fifteen minutes of fame.

Why are we, and my students, so desperate to make ourselves into our audiences? Is it because it is the easy route of communication. There is no mixed message, there is no need to persuade, it is just 100% “understanding.” Or, have we become addicted to remediation? Are we so used to reading things recycled and remixed that we just want to add our “voice” to the mix? Is it easier and cheaper access to technology that allows more people to participate in the remixing and remediation processes? The one thing I really like about this phenomena is that my students should become more accustomed to the idea that multiple people author single texts...even if there is still a “primary” author.

August 07 2006 | Posted in 21st Century Scholarship