Categories: Articles

Media Redefined

When you think of someone who understand the state of media, who do you think of?

One of the most interesting media characters I follow is Jason Hirschhorn. I’ve been subscribing to his e-newsletter (yes, I still enjoy getting these fascinating emails in my inbox that are filled with fascinating links and thoughts), MediaREDEF for a very long time. As you might imagine, I spend countless hours – every day – combing through the Internet looking for answers. Answers to client’s challenges, answers to this itch of a next book that’s about to be scratched, answers to help write the next blog post and more. You can’t finish the Internet. My friend, Jay Baer, just launched a site this week called, Marketing Podcasts, that acts as a directory to find the best marketing-related podcasts in the world. He already has over four hundred shows in the directory. Four hundred. Four hundred podcasts about marketing. You could spend your entire life listening to only marketing podcasts, and not be able to get through all of that audio gold. Think about the amount of links that are shared daily on Facebook and Twitter. Think about how many pieces of content you have saved to an app like Pocket with every intention of getting to (but you never will). For the past few years, we have screamed for better curation. And, it has arrived. When it comes to media, technology and pop culture, Jason’s Media REDEF knocks it out of the park.

Is there a business in curation?

Jason thinks so. He’s expanded MediaREDEF by adding additional verticals FashionREDEF, MusicREDEF, SportsREDEF, TechREDEF and he’s even introduced Originals (which, as you can guess, is originally crafted pieces of content). He has plans for this to grow, to charge people for this and beyond. The big question is this: will people now pay not only for content but for the curation of that content? On November 11th, Jason Hirschhorn talked to CNN‘s Brian Stelter about REDEF’s growth and the future of media and technology at a Paley Media Council meeting in New York. It’s fascinating to watch this former MySpace, MTV and Sling Media executive discuss our fascinating new and digital world. I was captivated. I hope you will be too.