What does “mass amateurization” mean?

Here is the simplest definition of the term:

Mass amateurization occurs by removing or weakening the entry barriers to a professional field.

However, we should keep in mind that Clay Shirky has used the notion to address an emerging trend in the media.

He describes the trend as follows:

 …Most professions exist because there is a scarce resource that requires ongoing management.

…Our social tools remove older obstacles to public expression and thus remove the bottlenecks that characterized mass media.  The result is the mass amateurization of efforts previously reserved for media professionals.

Mass amateurization diminishes what he calls “professionalism.” In his view, professionals often enforce strict and difficult-to-achieve standards in their profession, not only to maintain high work quality but also to protect their turf from amateurs.

It’s no longer necessary to be a professional photographer for your work to be noticed. Even for a non-professional, far-from-standard photo, there will always be some audience. The reality is even more bitter for professionals: Their work may no longer get noticed, as it might become buried forever under millions of photos taken and shared by amateur photographers.

The same trend holds true for other types of content, including but not limited to articles, podcasts, and ebooks.

Who coined the term “mass amateurization”

In some textbooks and articles, I have seen references to Wolske, Johnson, & Adams (2009). They titled their paper: “Citizen Professional Toolkits: Empowering Communities Through Mass Amateurization.”

However, Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody was published a year before the above-mentioned paper. Therefore, although Wolske and his colleagues did not mention Shirky’s name, the credit belongs to him.

Mass Amateurization and Media

Shirky has titled the third chapter of his book “Everyone Is a Media Outlet.” He believes that effortless publishing leads to many more outlets, and the news provided by media will get diluted in this ever-deepening pool of content.

He describes the effect of mass amateurization on the media (specifically the news industry) in a brief yet convincing statement:

 

[news will change from an] institutional prerogative to news as part of a communications ecosystem.