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interview with Park Won Soon

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YI: I guess, because your source of stories are from citizens all over, there is no need for OhMyNews to have a particular political stand. For instance, during the presidential elections of 2002, people say you were very pro-Mr. Roh. How do you keep OhMyNews from being abused by some citizens?

Oh Yeon Ho: From the beginning we announce that our editorial philosophy that our position is pro reform and democracy, because we want to balance between the conservatives and the progressives. Many of our traditional media's position is conservative. OhmyNews is always to make balance - 50-50. So with that editorial policy automatically our main readers are reform-minded and young. They are aged 20-35 (years). Automatically, the young reformist readers also become citizen reporters. The mainstream articles of OhMyNews tend to favor the audience. We will accept the conservative voices also. But the main players, the main audience are reformist young audience. So on the whole, our color has been progressive.

YI: Progressive rather than conservative. You know this and you feel comfortable?

Oh Yeon Ho: Yes. I feel comfortable so far because the mainstream media was so conservative. I feel the government has the responsibility and obligation to make other voices, to provide other voices. But maybe five years later, if Korea's public opinion is more democratic, then we may try to change our position to get more readers. Now we have some kind of limitation. OhmyNews readers are progressives, but if we go the next step, we may try to catch the conservative audience too. But you know to catch two opposing parties is very difficult.

YI: So, you want to go beyond your loyalists.

Oh Yeon Ho: Yes, maybe some day

YI: So where is journalism going in Korea? How do you see the future of journalism in Korea?

Oh Yeon Ho: Last week I attended the UNESCO conference, where I met many journalists. Among them there were some from developing countries who said they were restricted by (the lack) of freedom of speech. Compared to them I feel very happy. Thanks to the 1980s democratic movement, now we are enjoying 100 percent freedom of speech. So now, thanks to the freedom of speech and thanks to the internet, the Korean journalism market is shifting. One time, it was conservative, now it's going middle ground. Many new media are joining the market of providing public opinion. So I think the traditional media is losing their power, their dominance. So in the future, I think news internet media and news portal sites have more chances to offer their voices to public opinion. Interestingly enough, the traditional media is also changing their position. This means that the internet media wields a lot power, especially by interacting with the audience. So traditional media websites are also changing to compete to the internet media. So I think, as a whole, the traditional media and the new media is co-existing and co-evolving. But certainly, the dominant age of the traditional media is changing, it's ending.

YI: Will there be less print media? Like in other countries, it seems that their circulation is going down and down. Is that the way in Korea also?

Oh Yeon Ho: Circulation as a whole is down and the readership as a whole is down, but the Korean newspaper market is divided between the big three conservative newspapers and other minority papers. But in the market, the three dominant conservative newspapers have the most power. As a whole, the newspaper industry is going down. But, the three major conservative newspapers are still enjoying their strong voices being heard. But as a whole, the media market, the newspaper market is going down. So, I think the broadcast, newspaper, internet media, internet and portal sites will co exist and certainly the traditional newspapers are going down.

YI: So of all the media you mentioned, which is the biggest competition for OhMyNews?

Oh Yeon Ho: OhMyNews is still a very small company. I know our power compared to other media. We are just seven years old, just at a starting point. When we see the future, our rival is not the newspaper, not the broadcast media, the main rivalry will between the internet area. Now portal sites are becoming big companies. The have money, they have more readers, they can recruit more technicians, so I think as in many countries, Korea's portal sites are getting bigger and bigger. And as you know, we now have users to generate content, the portal sites, with their money and power, so compared to them, OhMyNews is very small.

YI: Mr. Oh, I think you are revolutionary at heart. You fought against the previous regime. And now you looked and you found a way in which to involve citizens' participation in journalism. What is your next project?

Oh Yeon Ho: Before I started OhMyNews, I had worked as a monthly magazine reporter. But at OhMyNews I became a CEO and I manage OhMyNews. But still I keep in mind that someday I want to write a novel. But also, I want to make a connection between these everyday management of 0hMyNews to something scholarly thinking. That is why I just finished my Ph.D, but regarding the courses I studied, I want to develop a scholarly thesis from everyday management.

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