By Chandeep Arora:
Some of them like it in print. Some of them love it on the go. Many want it anytime while others need it every time! In a nutshell, everyone desires “INFORMATION”. The media, as a matter of fact, is the greatest source of information. According to Wikipedia, Mass media denotes a section of the media specifically designed to reach a large audience. The term was coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio networks, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines. But with the arrival of the internet, “information” managed a shared and a social experience.
Traditional media has no doubt seen its downfall in the recent years due to the ever increasing scope of the new media that encompasses blogs, social networks, websites and much more. The power of the new media lies in the fact that an unlimited number of people can communicate with another unlimited number of people – instantly. It expands one’s reach as a business owner to the world, and allows other people to become “fellow marketers” through social networking tools. With the blogs and social networks on the rise, everybody has a voice of their own. Opinions are no longer limited to the editorial pages but has reached the common man’s attain. Information is not counted as an isolated or individual experience. We are connected to one another based on common interests and our ability to learn is now the result of collaboration and social syndication.
The picture is quite sunny on the business side too. Opportunities are opening to reach potential consumers with ads in or next to Internet video clips. In addition, many sites provide interactive services. New media can be as inexpensive as a free blog, where we can advertise our services and products while allowing interested people to contact us or leave comments. Keeping up with the technologies that are constantly being employed in new media – marketing is vitally important.
But don’t expect your Sunday Times to go down without a fight. The traditional media is still seen as one of the most reliable sources of information. Much of the data on the internet is overloaded with fake and irrelevant pages. The journalists are still responsible for bringing in the most original form of news to their readers. Whenever some high profile legal issues arise, the traditional media attempts a balancing act weighing ethical obligations of fairness, accuracy and objectivity against the necessity for timely and competitive reporting. The novel media on the other hand due to its independence may focus on only one side of the coin. Accuracy is where the former wins the part.
There may be striking differences between the two forms of media but ultimately, both have the same destination. But, the shift to the Web as our main and most accessible source of news and information is coming at us fast. And the power of new media continues to grow exponentially.
Image courtesy: http://diaryofahollywoodstreetking.com/category/major-media-news/