It was great fun visiting with the Shantou students yesterday. Several of them, with big smiles, introduced themselves as “Chapter Nine” and “Chapter 3″ and the like.

They’re being supervised by my old friend and colleague Ying Chan, dean of the journalism school at Shantou and director of Hong Kong University’s Journalism & Media Studies Centre, where I used to teach for a few weeks each fall. She tells me the first draft is done and posted, and comments are coming in. There are a number of other steps in the process (including a full copy-edit), and we’re hoping it’ll be posted early next year.

Journalism is going through transformative change, and some institutions will fail. But it won’t be the end of journalism. Our economy is more information-dominant than ever. Barriers to entry have never been lower. Millions are publishing and gaining influence in their chosen spheres. And who knows? Out of these millions of seedlings may grow the New York Times of the future. If you want to participate in this dynamic marketplace of ideas, Mediactive is a useful guide that will speed your progress.

(Note: I’ve known Brisbane for more than three decades, and consider him a friend.)

GMSV: You write in Mediactive: “There’s no conflict between having a world view and doing great journalism.” Do you think people understand that? Or has the myth been pounded into their heads that there needs to be two “balanced” sides in every story?

Gillmor: I hope that we’re making progress toward the reality that it’s not balanced to give equal weight to two sides when one side is lying. People understand that’s not the way the world is, that that’s just bogus. [But I see more] journalists pointing out outright lies. It’s hard for them to do it, but it’s a good thing. They don’t want to be regarded as partisan. I’d rather be falsely called a partisan than correctly called a dupe.

Read the full interview here.

Meanwhile, the Boston Phoenix blog features a crossposting of a long Q&A I did with former Phoenix media critic Dan Kennedy, a professor of journalism at Boston University, at his Media Nation site. Dan generously advises:

[Y]ou should all read “Mediactive.” It’s edgier and less optimistic than “We the Media,” but Gillmor has lost none of his passion for urging readers, viewers and listeners – the “former audience,” as Gillmor dubbed them in his first book – to get up off their seats and demand that the media be held accountable.

Here’s a link to the Phoenix piece, and to Dan’s original Media Nation posting.

Many thanks to both Dan and Levi.

Here are the details.

Everyone who uses or contributes to the media should read this book. It’s a welcome injection of sanity.

Thanks!

[the book's ideas] apply to all media consumers and media content creators (ie to all of us) and core concepts such as trust and transparency are central to public relations practice.

Here’s his full review.

Thanks!