In 1993, author Michael Crichton predicted the demise of mass media within a decade, claiming that traditional outlets would be “vanished, without a trace,” by 2002.

It took a bit longer than ten years, but his prognostication is finally coming to fruition, so sayeth Slate.  And based on my own readings and observations, I support his argument.

Yes, his proposition for a method which scans the Net and automatically assembles a front page filled with content tailored to the reader’s interests certainly sounds like an RSS feed reader.  Beyond predictions of technical development, however, his analysis of the problems facing American media THEN definitely reflects issues of NOW.

Poor product quality results, in part, from the American educational system, which graduates workers too poorly educated to generate high- quality information. In part, it is a problem of nearsighted management that encourages profits at the expense of quality. In part, it is a failure to respond to changing technology – particularly the computer-mediated technology known collectively as the Net. And in large part, it is a failure to recognize the changing needs of the audience.

Whether you read Thomas Friedman, who demands that the American education system change in order to prepare future workers for changing economic times, or agree with Jeff Widman’s call for “wall-able” content, there is no question that a burgeoning need for quality productions exists.  A simple list comprising examples of modern responses to Crichton’s article would be endless… everything from studies of the Entrenched Player’s Dilemma to Seth Godin’s argument that marketers should actually understand their audiences would fit perfectly.

I find it most interesting though, that while Crichton continues to expect the emergence of a high-quality news source, folks such as Robert Scoble keep calling for more noise.  Personally, I want that source Crichton dreams of, but I don’t expect it to go mainstream in the near future.  We like escapism too much, even (especially?) when it comes in the form of political coverage and current events.

No doubt though, mass media is becoming increasingly democratized… and it’s up to us to control the content, to choose to make a lot of noise or produce something of substance.