My entry in the February Carnival of journalism. This month’s question comes from Steve Outing: “What emerging technology or digital trend do you think will have a significant impact on journalism in the year or two ahead? And how do you see it playing out in terms of application by journalists, and impact?”
“Designing a communication tool as a work-around to problems resulting from the organizational structure imposed when someone decided lean manufacturing was just the ticket for a IT service company is crazy!” I fumed to two colleagues at lunch after reading a paper proposed for an international conference. “It’s enabling dysfunctional management!”
Both chuckled, and one (she’s a sociologist) pointed out that the effort reflects an unstated assumption that “technology” can “fix” problems that are social in nature. The other (a newly minted PhD) wondered if this faith in technology’s omnipotence is uniquely American.
