Mark Evans talks with Rachel Sklar, Cynthia Brumfield and Loren Feldman.

2 camps in traditional media – some are trying to evolve while others (old guard) are refusing to change.

Traditional media is looking at a major cultural change.

Right now there is a push going on to scoop up “webby” people. At the same time, alot of the change in the industry is pushing the old guard out. The hard part is losing the value that the old guard can offer yet melding that with the new ways of doing things.

The barriers to entry have collapsed and anyone is a potential artist, journalist, or anything they want to be. Out of all those people generating content there will be rising stars who are talented and get the attention of masses.

The video situation is very complex for broadcasters. They know how to sell ads but they are losing ads to all sorts of markets like cable, internet, etc. How do local broadcasters compete as their landscape changes and the vast TV revenues start to go down?

Traditional media is in a similar situation as record labels. There is a new medium but it’s very hard to turn on a dime and jump full steam into the web.

Traditional media are threatened by the “one man show” that can co-op the technology and compete head to head with major companies. There is room for both types of media, but people need to remember that the internet is not “little tv”. Local broadcasters are not competing with CNN, rather they need to realise they are competing with local bloggers.

There will always be people who want the tactile and “real” feel of things like newspapers. Just liked records and CDs, there will always be room for physical media. Nothing beats a newspaper or magazine for portability, etc…

People have much more access to news and media due to the internet. 20 years ago that would never have been possible.

Opening up the world of information creates alot more competition for attention and instead of 2 or 3 newspapers there are an infinite amount of information out there to be consumed.

Part of the joy of the internet is the amazing range of things the internet can offer in terms of content. Things like Justin.tv isn’t going to make it on traditional TV, but it’s still compelling content for those who want it.

All the choice that the internet offers is ultimately good for the consumers.

No matter how the net neutrality issue works out, content creators and people with something to say will figure a way out to get their message onto the web. It’s pretty clear that savvy and smart people will adapt. Attempting to hand pick what gets onto the internet is ridiculous and will not work out.

A big difference between the new media and the traditional media is the “thinking ahead” in that the new media is all about changing and improving technology while the old media is pretty stable in terms of technology. Would the old media think ahead to buy up all the dark fiber like Google did?

As the generations change and more things require our attention there i will probably be more and more short form content. In 5 years the 90 second video clip may seem extremely long.

Alot of users get comfortable with a limited number of computer functions (IM, email, Facebook as a platform, etc.) and media outlets need to understand this. Instead of building social networks, media outlets need to be in the new closed guardens like Facebook. Embrace what it out there and do it well.

No matter what, ingenuity and quality of content is always going to be critical. If you are putting out good stuff you are going to be ok.

You will still have newspapers in 20 years. Not everyone will have access to the latest technology all the time. The average person out there still likes quick and simple. Having the choice of a medium is important. When you are in a dinner “if a pickle falls on my newspaper I won’t lose my mind…”

Newspapers need to change what they are covering. Instead of focusing on breaking news, they need to focus on editorials, in depth reports, etc.

The old media aren’t idiots, they just don’t know what is possible and were blindsided. Many just don’t know how to react.

An interesting fact is that the book industry is thriving while the eBook makers are suffering. Technology isn’t always a guaranteed winner.

Being right, correct, and accurate is and will always be important. Being fast and getting the news out there is important but it MUST be right. Credibility wins.

We are at a point where people trust big media the same way they trust single bloggers. 1 person can put up a really decent challenge. The single hustler is way more of a threat than another big organization. Pretty soon, those hustlers won’t have to hustle so fast since all their stories will just show up in their inbox for them because they have that credibility, etc.