Last night I had the privilege of listening to Professor Jeff Jarvis - author, blogger, podcaster, advisor, and public speaker - talk at the launch of the UTS Centre for Media Transition.

Professor Jarvis gave insights into the future of media, beginning with the issue of fake news. He noted that it's less of an issue in Australia, but it was interesting to hear his take. Journalists need to be trusted by the public, he argued, and people should want to go to journalists for news.

He also spoke about business models saying, "There is no God-given right to make the money we used to." Jeff acknowledged the changing landscape making the point that media isn't so "mass" these days, and new, more niche journalism needs to reward value, not reach. One of the points he raised was that journalism needs to go to where the people are, even if that means making memes to get messages across.

Jeff briefly touched on the success of the likes of Facebook and Twitter, saying they won because they took risks and offered advertisers what journalists didn't - information about the audience.

It's no wonder Jeff is so well respected in the industry. He spoke well and was able to offer deep insights on a topic that he's knowledgable about. Sitting there, I was wondering if it's Jeff's background in technology journalism that helps him identify these issues, and see changes that need to be made. It's too easy to get stuck in our ways, but if industries don't move forward with the dramatic changes brought about by technology in mind, they may cease to have a place in the market.

Thanks to UTS for inviting such a great guest to launch the Centre for Media Transition. Everyone in the room walked away with something to think about thanks to the knowledge Jeff imparted upon us.