Making the World Better, One Tweet, Blog, and WeMedia Post at a Time

Andrew Nachison of iFOCOS and WeMedia spoke with Journalism students at George Mason University last week, discussing the forefront of internet journalism.

iFOCOS was developed as a part of a new vision and stem of WeMedia. Originally, it was built as a think tank for connection.

“WeMedia took a shape of its own based around three big ideas,” said Nachison. “The individual, systems for determining who or what we trust, and the digital everything.”

Elaborating on “the individual” more, Nachison said that the idea came from the notion that the individual exerts unprecedented power and differentiates from the past when institutions were the driver or controller of media experiences.

Nachison said that the system for determining trust is the know trust networks shifting.

“That sense of trust shifted, manifesting in declining trust of institutions,” said Nachison. “It continues to have huge implications in how we process knowledge. From a business standpoint, that’s a daunting challenge for configuring things.”

The overwhelming change of journalism, media, or modes in which news is carried has switched from the analog universe into the digital age, completely.

“Underlying all of this is the idea that media and communication are the glue that connects the culture rather than thinking of technology as the major driver of the times,” said Nachison. “I think of communication and media as the driver AND connector of all times.”

Nachison highlighted storytelling as one of the most important aspects of any medium, and that aspect needs to remain true in digital media.

“Storytelling is the connective tissue that links society and culture,” said Nachison. “My work is about how to use storytelling to make the world a better place.”