Self-created Media is going to become the norm; who will you trust?

Hello and welcome to the first of my newly branded Podcasts; CreatingRipples!

Now I know that some of you have already noticed, that since October last year, I had begun to create and publish podcasts under the social-network handles of ConsumerFrank and the 4849 Podcast and published them only on YouTube to-date. 

I need not tell some of you out there, that to create and brand, let alone deal with the technical aspects of podcasting or radio production is not for the feint-hearted!

As some of you will know, I left HolidayTravelWatch in 2017 and up to that point and indeed beyond 2017, I think it is fair to say that the world has become a very different place.

For at least the last 5 years, the media-world has fractured, simply because of technology, viewing or listening habits, that have all changed out of recognition. 

Gone are the days when we could expect our main broadcasters to deliver everything we need; production is now in the domain of small production companies and individuals. 

The listening or viewing public like to watch or listen on the move, but they are also looking for disperate voices or images that lay beyond the monoliths or the establishment figures of media production. Consumer expectations from media and information has changed.

Equally, the message on so many issues can either rise or indeed fail, dependent sometimes on how deep pockets are or how genuine the message or messenger can be.

Media consumption has come into sharp focus since 2016, revealing, however justified or not, a major trust issue - it is my view that this perception of trust is potentially leading toward a collapse in the confidence of our institutional broadcasters. I’ve had to ask myself, do I allow my own voice for example to drown within the problematic structures of media companies, or do I speak directly to my audience?

I’ve also detected a shift in Consumer attitudes. The determined Consumer of the 1990’s has been replaced it seems, by Consumers in the 2020’s, who are disengaged and simply do not fight their corners, at least not on the scale of the past. 

It’s become evident to me, that the 2020 Consumer, in general terms do not care for the Rights they currently enjoy and are simply not prepared to engage practically or politically to force discussion and hold politicians to account. To me there is an abstract disjunct between the status of a Consumer and that of a Citizen - the 2020’s Consumer have lost sight of the fact that it is Citizenship that comes first and that Consumers is an activity of within our Citizenship. It appears that Consumers have lost sight of their responsibility of challenge.

It’s also clear, perhaps through Referendum, Elections, social network messaging, podcasting and short films, that Consumers concerns rest in what they see as more fundamental issues and that Consumer Rights issues are just not that important. 

It’s also just possible that Consumers, carrying forward their throw-away habits, simply discard companies that fail them; they move on!

Against this backdrop I took the view that I needed to reach out to a whole new audience, providing messages or signposts, rather than supplying direct interventions or assistance; in my view that is how the Consumer of the 2020’s wishes to deal with their problems.

For me personally, there are many things that I now want to talk about, so I will cover topics on Law and Politics, Consumers and Travel and Society. But it’s not all going to be serious; I fully intend to do some fun-stuff but I want to make sure that I bring you into areas which many Travel or Consumer writers or commentators fail to bring you into.

The Society label brings so much more into the mix of what I can talk about, as I say, fun-stuff, but also human stories, one of which as you can and will see is about a personal journey into the heart of religious and a state immorality.

Some have asked me why I am calling my Podcasting brand, CreatingRipples?

Well, those who know me well, know that from my early working life as a police officer, then a lawyer, then running HolidayTravelWatch, working as a Consumer Campaigner, everything I do has been about challenge. 

Challenging those who committed wrongs against others; challenging behaviour in the workplace; challenging legal perceptions of what is or is not possible; challenging legislators and standards-makers to push the envelope; ripples that I have created which have changed and delivered benefits to individuals or to many I people have never met.

I can’t say that some of my challenges have been met with approval, but doing the right thing doesn’t always deliver friends - that I am afraid to say is life!

When I was leaving one law-firm, a colleague gave me a small present. It was a small glass square that you can stand on your desk. On the glass square it contains coloured lettering and the words: ‘Never, ever, ever, give up’. When she gave me the present she told me that she had apparently never known anyone like me; the proverbial dog with the bone! A compliment indeed and when I look back, I know that she was right; I am that dog with the bone!

So here we are, at the beginning of 2020, with so much uncertainty and madness in the world and somehow, ordinary people are going to have to navigate their way through their daily lives and their problems.

I hope in some small way I help them to do so, but even if your life is relatively problem-free, I hope that you will enjoy my brand of Podcasts which will very shortly will be available across many different platforms.

Thanks to those who have supported my endeavour and for the feedback I have received; it’s greatly appreciated!

(This Podcast/Script has been created for the CreatingRipples™ Podcast: A new beginning©. You can listen to Frank's Podcast here)