You Will Hear It From Facebook in Future. Long Live MJ.

When Michael Jackson, the self-styled king of pop died last week, curiously it might seem, I read it on Facebook. What’s the point I am making here?

When an earthquake occurred in the US and the husband phoned the wife, she said, “But how come it’s not on facebook.” We like to hear our friends say it, not the screechy big media news presenters because we know what’s behind their put on excitement – Television Rating Points (TRPs in short).

The world just got more interactive, and communities are deciding what is news and what is newsworthy. Today I read Mark Zuckerberger’s interview in Wired magazine and he says print, electronic and internet media aren’t deciders of what’s news anymore. Then who or what is? He says, in a manner of speaking, that in future news will be decided by communities of people who belong to social networking sites such as Facebook. And, what’s more, most of the feeds to such communities would be from blogs and uniquely social networking phenomena called “status messages” and their “feedback.”

I have been fascinated by Facebook and have around 500 friends whose status messages I read and give feedback upon everyday. Over time I have built up a network of friends and they comment on the articles on my blog links of which I provide on the social networking site. When I put the news of Michael Jackson’s death as a status message four or five people who just got the news from me commented on my message.

The concept of an editor or journalist deciding what is news may be waning, who knows. Truth be told their act was rather arbitrary and, god forbid, maybe a good thing for online media and websites. Newspapers and news media might have fallen into the graves they have dug with their own hands. But Zuckerberger is the owner of an online media, don’t forget. So he will say things supporting his pet marketing theories.

However, the way social networking sites such as Facebook and Ryze are gaining in popularity it may not be long before we give up reading ad-cluttered newspapers altogether. I guess readers would get tired of reading articles which have been paid for by corporates seeking cheap publicity.

After all, didn’t some wise guy say: you can fool all the people for some time, but not all the people all the time.

Michael Jackson

I liked the guy ever since I read his autobiography. He seemed like the typical child star thrust into stardom not knowing how to handle the huge success he has become. He was very vulnerable for the huge role that was cut out for him. Admittedly, he was a great performer and I was spellbound by his performance and presence on screen. My greatest regret is that I couldn’t see him perform live when he visited Bombay.

Now that the crooner of “Heal the world” (my favourite song) is no more I can only wish that he find peace and harmony away from his harried and harassed life in the peaceful world of his maker.