I am in what I what call of the business of make-believe: By text, video and picture, it is my job to educate by information that is bona fide and breathes authenticity. It needs to be applicable, indubitable and convincing. The guiding principle is to create consumer orientated multi-modal content that is next-best to the real thing.
Take Usain Bolt for instance: I need him to visit the classroom. Not just one, but all classrooms in Sweden. And Denmark. And a not yet disclosed number of classrooms in other countries. How do I do that? Do I have the necessary connections to catch the fastest man in history you think? Well, I wish.
Instead, I am heavily leaning on a diverse array of media content to rope him. Spoiled editor that I am, I scout the Internet for the hyperinflation of interviews, video clips, articles and infographics to help me draw a somewhat convincing picture of a celebrity sports star. Does that make it authentic, or is it still fake? How can we tell?
Another catch lies in the way and extend to which the readily accessible media content forms our idea of the world around us. How do I know Usain Bolt truly is the kind of laid-back person portrayed in the talk show extract I choose to incorporate in my product? And where does this practice of recycling available media content leave me with a less popularized topic?
I have no answers, but I admit being a tid-bit worried.