Net Worth Conference- Compensation and Creative Labor

The speakers on this panel were very concerned about piracy- they referred to it as “stealing” and “theft.” Their repeated use of those terms framed just how awful they consider access to digital downloads to be. Their word choice is very accusatory and directed at the people who are seeking out their content to watch. While they have a valid point that their work should be paid for, I believe it would be better if they attacked the technology that enables content to be stolen instead of the people who are possible consumers.
One issue addressed by the panel was the development of transmedia content that is beginning to emerge around television programs. Companies produce the show, and also provide extra content on the website or other places for fans to interact and engage with the show. An issue for comensation is defining whether this added material is promotional or content. Depending on how it is defined determines who will be paid, and this is a current issue for debate among the creatives and the networks.
The present has the potential to be the golden age of independent television because of how the new media structure creates a space for the little guy by eliminating financial barriers to entry. While this is exciting for the little guy who has been kept out of the current model, it is threatening to those who have been flourishing with that model. In trying to maintain control, these more traditional figures attack the easiness of new media through economics. It is easy for independent producers to create and distribute content, and it is also easy for consumers to find content on their own for free. Jay Roth claimed that new media is a small base, and the currently established base is much more successful and profitable. He claimed that the challenges of new media include theft, and chasing things that we have no idea of what the business model looks like. If new media takes off, his proposed solution to prevent theft is to produce programs live, which means the quality will go down but people won’t be able to steal the content for their own individually preferred release. I think that Jay Roth underestimates the potential of the new media base. It has potential to be a platform for new product, and if fans lifestyles are shifting to suggest a desire for a new way to interact with content, then it might be wise for to provide entertainment in a way that fits that desire.
I doubt the sustainability of the current models, and I challenge some of the thinking of this panel. Is it worthwhile to defend an old model, or would the creatives be better off thinking of ways to adapt with the changes? It could be possible to end the threat posed by new media by finding a way to work with it instead of working against it. Yes, it is a risk because it is an unknown market model, but there is so much potential for growth across a new frontier. There is a possibility for untapped creative potential by developing new products and experiences for consumers to engage in and want to spend money on, and creative potential for complete new platforms of expression.