Today we've got a guest blog from Jacobs Media's Tim Davis:
As Jacobs Media's Internet guy, I'm frequently asked about streaming, podcasting, and Web site design. While it often frustrates people, I continue to harp on the notion that if the content sucks, none of it matters.
This month, I get support from Jon Stewart. In September's Wired Magazine, Thomas Goetz (who was highly entertaining at Jacobs Summit X) sits down with Stewart and his partner at Busboy Productions, Ben Karlin, to talk about the future of TV and entertainment in general.
Despite the wisecracks and innuendo, one thing is crystal clear - Stewart simply gets it. As noted in a previous blog, technology is a tool - not the end, just a means to the end. It's all about what you create and put out there - and technology is simply the way that material is distributed, not what people are coming to.
As Stewart notes, "The Internet is a world passing around notes in a classroom. That's all it is. All those media companies say, 'We're going to make a killing here.' You won't because it's still only as good as the content."
Delivery platforms may make it easier to get your content to your audience, and they are important in terms of the age-old concept of "fishing where the fish are." But simply creating a podcast or streaming your audio won't make you bigger than you are - they'll just make you more accessible to your potential audience. You still must invest in your product, develop your talent, and market appropriately. No matter how diversified you are in delivery platforms, the content is king.
Stewart adds "It's the idea that content is no longer valued by where it stands, what neighborhood it lives. What matters is what you put out there, not its location. I think that's what people have come to learn from the Internet - it doesn't matter where it comes from. If it's good, it's good."
It's a great read, and more reason why Stewart is connecting with TV viewers the news channels continue to miss.
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