Above all, I found We Media to be absolutely worthwhile. We need more forums in which representatives of traditional, mainstream media and the new batch of independent, online content producers can come together and discuss pro-active solutions that ensure sustainability for both groups.

I listened to all of the audio from We Media London and was disappointed that most of the discussion droned on about the fruitless “what’s a journalist” question. This year, at We Media Miami, the point that was echoed over and over again was that we need to move past that question. And yet, I never felt that we really did.

The irony of the “unconference” format is that it requires more specific session topics to keep the conversation from turning into a rotation of press releases. Rather than tackling serious questions about the future of journalism, most of the panels came off like audio brochures of what five or six companies/organizations are doing to transition into the web2.0 landscape.

Using the Soft Power session as an example, the topic seemed far too vague to foster the type of conversation that produces new ideas or “aha moments.” And because of its vagueness, we each digressed into our most familiar talking points: the importance our own projects. Meanwhile, there are lively discussions taking place online that would have been perfect fodder for the experts gathered at We Media. Some examples:

• What is the future of foreign correspondence?
• Are there real alternatives to Google Ads to sustain new media?
• Is public broadcasting still serving the public?
• Do virtual worlds promote social activism?
• Should journalism schools form relationships with web2.0 companies to help fund new media research?

Unfortunately, the sessions at We Media Miami ended with these questions instead of starting with them. Perhaps next time the sessions could start online with a PostGlobal-like format in which the moderator introduces the topic and each session participant publishes a brief note with his or her stance so that there is already some structure to the conversation leading up to the conference.

Again, I commend and thank IFOCOS and all of its sponsors for organizing such an important forum and forming relationships between people and groups that should be working together. With a little more advanced planning and more specific session topics, I believe that next year’s We Media could become the incubator of ideas that make “new media” sustainable, informative, innovative, and collaborative.