If you’re a designer no doubt you have come across the legend that is Barbara Chandler. If you are a follower of design, then no doubt you have read some of her articles in a variety of newspapers and magazines, including the London based Evening Standard.
Barbara stood out from the other journalists that I have had experience with, for the pure and simple reason, she did her job well. There is nothing more entertaining than having a journalist cut and paste your press release directly, you won’t find this lazy approach with the Chandler. “I learn as much as I can, and I love it!”
She has a passion for her trade, the people she meets and a desire to learn and understand, that results in real journalism.
I caught up with Barbara at the DesignersBlock show, intrigued to see how her trade has evolved over her 35 year career.
The internet, free newspapers, 24 hour news, endless blogs and opinion now provide our sources of information. Are the days of the traditional paid paper numbered?
Barbara doesn’t think so. Its more than just content, the medium offers just as much value, “the magazine has a sensual feel, the colour, the paper ; It’s infinitely easier to follow the train of thought”.
It is true, I keep magazine’s and clippings, and yet I also make websites. With the Working Title we are publishing across mediums, and as Barbara says “I don’t think you ever have to see things as mutually exclusive”.
Currently Barbara thinks there “isn’t a really exciting internet magazine”, I’d be inclined to agree. Most newspaper websites are merely publishing their print content on the website. Some reference the print archetype with page turning interfaces online, completely missing the power of the internet.
The power of the internet is the ability to connect people, from a variety of geographic & cultural backgrounds, and allow them to communicate on a level playing field. The small person in the bedroom has the potential reach and influence to the same extent of the large office with a team of hundreds.
Can this be harnessed, in a way that doesn’t compromise the content. Viewpoints from around the world could be utilized, opinions that contrast should be able to add value. The power of thought and decision of the reader should be left in the hand of the reader, not the PR company or the designer with their own agenda.
The newspaper may not be dead yet, but with a multitude of new information outlets; Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and “endless blogs killing themselves with their own words”, its time for a new approach.
If the internet allows peoples to voice and publish their opinions, surely this can be incorporated into a new model of journalism. A collective effort, or an infinite archive of interlinked content. Its been done with Wikipedia, is it time for a news revolution. Or would this merely result in a collection of mediocre content that even the toughest and hardest working editor couldn’t sift through, let alone the reader.
The problem with all of this, is a problem that applies to technology generally; we do things because we can not because we should.
Take the latest internet phenomena, Twitter, for example. A micro blogging site where people can make small 140 character updates to their networks of followers, people that chances are they haven’t met, and never actually will. Is the need really there, is there actually true value, or does it just turn into a popularity game, where I add you, and you add me. I’m dubious.
When you subscribe to someone’s updates on twitter it is referred to as a follow. This month Twitter reached its first member with 1 million followers, which appropriately enough turned into a battle between the professional journalists and the individual. American news network CNN and American actor Ashton Kutcher went head to head in a race to the one million mark.
CNN had news readers imploring that their viewers follow them immediately, not like there was any real news content to report on. Ashton Kutcher got to the finishing post first, broadcasting his victory over a live video streaming website. Now he has this mass audience the question now arises, what is he saying? It seems today he is using his audience to good effect, as his last update six hours ago was a reminder that today is world malaria day, imploring people to donate for Malaria nets.
Barbara, for a lady from an older generation, is particularly technology savvy. But she still sees the same problems I do. “Technology can run away with itself. We don’t need to do things just because we can do things”. It’s so true. If you travelled back in time and told people they would be updating people they have never met with one sentence benign updates, I’m sure they would ask, what is the point?
But at the same time, if one individual can speak to a million people, with no cost, surely that cannot be a bad thing.
So whilst I sit here still trying to work out what’s best, a paper newspaper filled with the nostalgia and emotive ritual of sitting back with a coffee, and flicking through the pages; or tapping an update into my iPhone, whilst checking some blogs. I really can’t make my mind up, but taking it back to what Barbara calls the “core principles”, there is a desire to communicate, being the inherently social creatures that we are. The internet and a recent growth in the available channels for this communication can hopefully only be a good thing. Time will tell as we work out how our relationships with these technologies develop and mature over time.
I look around the cafe I am sat in as I write this, to see a small child holding a copy of our publication, Working Title. No doubt the content is lost on this young mind, but lets hope our next generation of journalists don’t produce lazy baby food content, filled with Wikipedia content, PR powered content and atrocious spelling mistakes.
Lets hope for all our sakes they take a page out of Barbara’s book. They get to the bottom of things, ask the inquisitive and at times awkward questions and don’t just act as the vehicle for the ever-powerful PR engines.
If the professional journalists fail to inspire, at least there are the amateurs who are becoming increasingly accessible to a global audience, with thanks to the ever-evolving world of technology.
Text: Ian Atkins
Image : Rory Dodd
With thanks to Barbara Chandler.