I read and viewed reports this morning that CBS news writers have voted in favor of joining the writer’s strike taking place currently. This strike has caused an industry-wide blackout on new content, leaving many searching elsewhere for their much needed entertainment. Could this strike end up backfiring on the writers as they return to work only to discover that a large part of their audience has discovered new mediums for their content? Will YouTube gain a higher market share of people’s attention?

In any case, there is no denying that now more than ever news and entertainment created by independent contributors for release online is posing a real threat to the established industry. This is a very good thing, as it is forcing the industry to rethink their positions and find more modern approaches to distribution. Many network television stations have put their content online for free viewing to counter the commercial-less downloading epidemic they claim is taking their profits away. The major market content itself has improved arguably to appeal to a new generation of consumers and keep their interest on the archaic media.

And now, with the threat of at least one major news network losing their writer staff temporarily to a strike, the question of independent news sources finally stepping up and replacing the overwhelming corporate empire. If even one network loses ten percent of their viewer base to independent media, what impact would that have on news as we see it?

Let’s face it, here in America, we’ve been force-fed our beliefs and opinions with an electronic spoon. All the while, we’ve sat through countless numbers of advertisements telling us we can’t live without seeing the next season of 24, we can’t be cool unless we buy the Old Navy flannel zip up vest, or that we are in need of twenty different types of medication so that we can accomplish the task of para sailing through wheat fields with a grin on our face the size of Kansas. I don’t know if things are the same around the world, but in this nation with which I reside, the idea that bloggers might be able to gain the attention of a small portion of the community away from this overwhelming machine is enough to make me smile.

Matt Ryan of The Daily PWN

Tags: advertising, blogging, frugal geek, matt ryan, media, news, strike, writers