The idea that traditional forms of media are being slowly made obsolete due to the progression in digital technologies has been comprehensively examined throughout numerous tutorials this semester. However, I personally feel there will still be a place for the television, newspapers and other traditional platforms forms alike, in the new multifaceted media landscape. I contend that the digital revolution has not replaced traditional mediums but rather they exist simultaneously, complementing one other, creating an informed media environment. Alas, audience numbers of traditional mediums may not be as large as they were before the digital revolution - there is no doubt that the digital revolution has impacted our conventional media consumption in a large way - but will the Internet and the digital platforms the Internet creates, consume our entire mediated communication system?
Citizen journalism – a very cool/scary phenomenon.
Why is it cool? I see it as empowering the little people. No longer do you have to be large, powerful corporation to put your thoughts out there, into the public sphere! Weblogs, Twitter, social networking sites and forums are fantastic resources for people to read and discover there own unbiased opinion on all sorts of issues, from the most controversial to the most trivial. If you search for it, you will find an abundance of information, debating each and every aspect of whatever it is you want to uncover.
Though I still feel credibility is a massive downfall. If every Tom, Dick and Harry can publish online, how are we to know that what he or she is publishing is correct? We don’t. This is why I feel digital platforms COMPLEMENT conventional platforms. For example, I found out about the Japan Tsunami through Facebook. I was intrigued, so I searched Google and found an abundance of informative, credible sources – mostly sites that were from a major media corporation (The Australian site for example) as it is widely acknowledged that big, powerful corporations have a the highest journalistic standards and integrity – although this is debatable - thus, social media did not fulfil my entire information seeking desires.
Yet, could there possibly be too much freedom? What if extreme activists start publishing their views, will they get a following? Will this result in riots? Revolt? Perhaps there does need to be some sort of censorship over the content available on the web in order to maintain ideological viewpoints. If ISP filtering is implemented, that will really throw a spanner in the works – so to speak… But that is a whole other blog topic!
There is no doubt that the media sphere is changing. Audiences are fragmented, actively searching for information, interacting online, providing feedback and creating their own content – all of which should most definitely be recognised as a major adjustment in terms of media consumption. But to say that this will completely replace traditional forms of media, I feel, is a extreme statement. The Internet may attract higher numbers, especially as our generation ages, but there will always (at least for a long time to come) be a television blaring in the background of your morning breakfast routine or showcasing the football game through a projector at the pub on a Friday night, don’t you think?
I agree in that I do not think the internet has the power (yet) to completely kill old media, but it will eventually, without us really knowing, fade away and we will no longer be on the trains flipping oversized sheets of information but instead sliding are fingers down a screen in the palm of our hands. Television and Radio can adapt far better than the printed word can at the moment. I mean look at 3D televisions, this is a relatively old media outlet been re-marketed to be seen as new...but really...it isn't, It is still tv. And the printed word is not necessarily going to die...It is just finding a new way of reaching a larger audience. They can co-exist quite comfortably at the moment, but eventually one will come out on top and it is looking in the favor of the new.
ReplyDeleteHey Gabby
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed reading your week 8 blog. I have to say that you share the same views as what I have discussed in my week 8 blog, in that the 2 forms of media (citizen journalism & traditional media) complement each other, with a need for both to exist - with traditional media enabling standards and integrity.
For example, I know when I hear news, I google the event and look at traditional media websites, rather then search twitter aggregated data. Typcially media outlets go into detail about the events and have the ability and resources to investigate further.
Hence I cannot see traditional media going anywhere anytime soon!!
By the way, I found an online article about the credibility of citizen journalism and how its downfalls may be addressed as part of its future. I think that you will also find this useful/interesting :) http://digitaljournal.com/article/271657
I also agree with what you and Benny have noted Gabby- that old and new media complement one another. Many forms of traditional media, such as Women's Magazines are utilising newer forms of interactive media such as Twitter and Facebook to appeal to the more tech-savvy generation they are appealing their products to. I believe we NEED both forms of media to coincide with one another, after all- we can't believe everything we read on the internet.
ReplyDeleteHey Gabby,
ReplyDeleteI think you've raised many interesting points in your post, but especially the notion that there may be such thing as 'too much freedom'. In Australia we do not have the right to freedom of speech in our constitution, however in America and many people get away with extreme discrimination, abuse and hate speech as these are considered freedom of speech. The internet with its 'access for all' ideology can become the perfect platform for extremists who are gepgraphically separated to come together and publish their views, potentially hurting many others and worse case senario result in riots or revolt as you say. Lots to think about.
Would ya look at what just popped up in the iphone update... a magazine rack! And it offers subscriptions to all the womens magazines!!! Facebook, twitter and cosmo all on the iphone... about time!. Coinciding forms of media is very exciting, it become so compact and fits in your pocket, saves a few trees and keeps the hippies in their zone. All good I say, converge and be merry for the moment anyway...probably going to get out control some time soon!
ReplyDeleteI also think that there will still be a place for television, newspapers and other traditional platforms. Although I do promote citizen journalism and believe it’s a wonderful thing, I also believe that individuals will not rely on citizen journalism as their only news source. I follow numerous blogs and if something is happening in the world I just straight on the Internet to find out what is happening. Despite this I also love buying a newspaper and reading it or watching the news with my family at night. I believe that these two forms of media will co-exist and that neither will ‘die’ out.
ReplyDelete