Arianna Huffington, named to the 2006 Time 100 Most Influential People and Forbes Most Influential Women in Media lists, and co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of online news site The Huffington Post, spoke as part of the third annual College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Lecture Series on Tuesday. Students and community members showed up to hear Huffington speak on the “Brave New World” of journalism. Here are our favorite lessons from the night!
Mix Tradition with Innovation
To begin her lecture, Huffington explained that she sees media’s future as a hybrid between traditional and online journalism. Just as print has gone online, many online outlets are moving toward the quality journalism that made print essential. For Huff Post, this means not only employing journalists and analysts, but also publishing reader voices via blogs. This blurring of the lines between online and offline journalism Huffington refers to as the “Garden of Eden” of new media.
“Viral” Does NOT Equal “Quality”
However, as Huffington explains, “There is always a snake in the garden!” and for media that is what she calls the “fetishism of going viral.” Online media increasingly looks for articles that will receive the most hits or page views, but popularity does not always indicate accurate reporting or informative journalism. Because of this, some great stories are overlooked for lack of “shares.” For great content, the old saying should always ring true: “Quality over quantity!”
Unplug & Recharge
The viral culture we now live in makes it hard to put down our phones or turn off our tablets even for a minute, but Huffington insists we must. “Now is the time to sound the alarm and course correct!” Huffington says of our ever-increasing hyper-connectivity; “We need to unplug and recharge.” Need proof? Huffington had to give herself a break in 2007 from pure exhaustion!
Look At Ads Differently
We’ve all seen the annoying sidebar, pop-up, and singing ads on our favorite news sites, but is that the cost of free content? No, says Huffington. Huff Post, she says, relies mostly on written sections sponsored by a content-driven advertiser rather than traditional banner ads. Huff Post itself will continue to use this method rather than add a pay-wall. Why? Once content is free, it’s hard to go back!
“Marriage Comes and Goes, But Divorce Is Forever”
Ok, not really! Huffington (who is really every bit as funny as her SNL parody counterpart) told an anecdote in which famous writer Nora Ephron suggested a Huff Post section on divorce with this quote! What this teaches us, though, is that content needs to reach its readers wherever they are, in life and online. The latest new media mantra is “ubiquity is the new exclusivity” –content should reach its audience by being everywhere.
Arianna Huffington’s lecture was hilarious and informative for students of all interests. Did it inspire you? Comment below, or pitch your own blog post to Huff Post right now! Â
Â