What exactly is “New Media” and “Old Media”?
New media has and is continuously changing the world. New media is constantly being defined as we humans and technology evolve. From stories told via word of mouth, to transcribing on paper, to the mass producing printing press to tv and radio, the way we consume content has always always been with a target in mind: “How do we get news out quickly and cheaply?”. The New Media Institute defines new media as “a catchall term used to define all that is related to the internet and the interplay between technology, images and sound.” (Joe Cote, 2020) This includes the links of digital advertising (Targeted Ads), online streaming (Twitch and YouTube) and Social Media (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook).
Old Media (more commonly called Traditional Media) contrasts to new media and is typically defined as “all forms of communication that came before digital technology.” When we think of traditional media, the likes of newspapers, magazines, radio and television comes to mind. “They are the roots of advertising and the most common form utilized by businesses on a daily basis”. ( Absolute Studio, 2014). There is definitely more charm to traditional media, but for sure more expensive then new media.
Both media forms have their advantages and disadvantages; and depending on your target public/market. You are more likely to reach todays youth (or Gen Z) with New Media as opposed to older generations who have a fondness for traditional media. Most new media is free for consumption and quick to update us on developing news, as opposed to traditional media which does come with a cost and can’t be updated without another print or broadcast, which takes time. Another issue is that with the development of technology and the internet, New Media has a much wider reach then traditional media, which lends itself well to physical media (such as newsletters and magazines, etc) but lacks the reach to deliver their news in the same way new media can. In fact many newspapers and magazines now have a digital platform in order to compete with new media publishers. This allows many to stay up-to-date on the current news without ever having to leave their houses.
New media also allows the inclusion of multimedia assets, images, videos, hyperlinks and it makes the consumption of media and news more interactive, especially since new media can accommodate a two-way conversation as opposed to traditional media’s one-way. This also lends itself well to the rise of Social Media, with allow for quick and easy publication and real-time updates. However, I do think that in a world so dominated by Digital/New Media, that people have come to apricate traditional media even more so. It is up to professional communicators to decide and master both old and new media.
“I still think traditional media is what matters to clients. If we’re launching a report or running an event or making an announcement, they want this to be covered in national broadcast and print. New media like new websites is an added bonus but I think traditional media still has its place. For a country like Ireland, local media is also really important. Everyone reads their local paper and will listen to the regional radio station. I still think this can be the best way to connect with people.” (Sorcha MacMahon, Account Executive at Alice PR & Events).
How the web and social media impact on how we consume news?
Social media has become the main source of news online with more than 2.4 billion internet users, nearly 64.5 percent receive breaking news from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram instead of traditional media. As mentioned above, many companies that produce newspapers also developed their own websites and promoted them online. With the global nature of the web people now have access to the latest news from any country. Social Media allows people from around the world to discuss global news quick and freely, something traditional media unfortunately can’t compete with.
“If something is quick and easy to get information from, why wouldn’t we do it? From a few taps on our phones versus getting dressed to go to the nearest shop all for a few daily headlines; who wouldn’t choose the quick way”. (Megan Cronin, CIT MA Public Relations and New Media graduate).
Today, we as a human population have grown to expect instant results. We want things fast. It is why many social media apps such as Tik Tok have such a massive user base – videos are always less then 1 minute long, easy to consume content all in one place. It is no secret newspapers have been struggling as we transitioned into the Digitial Age. “Circulation and ad revenue have been in a steady decline for decades. In 2018, U.S. newspaper circulation was at its lowest figure since 1940, the year when circulation information was first made available”. (Brad Adgate, Forbes). As internet sites are now the go-to news source for all younger generations, the connections towards the likes of newspapers are diminishing, as it is unlikely that someone from the younger generation would prefer newspapers as their source for global news.
With the world’s information at everyone’s fingertips, the general public is far more informed on decisions they make, and are far more influential. Thanks to social media, everyone with a phone and a social media platform is a journalist or reporter. Any outbreak that happens, or anything “newsworthy” happens, the public’s first response is to take out their phone and start recording.
“Anybody that carries a smartphone has the capability to be a journalist. This isn’t saying that journalists aren’t important and are being replaced, I mean there’s always someone that captures something that can go viral on social media.” (Megan Cronin) Many major news stories have broken due to this, such as the death of George Floyd which was recorded by Darnella Frazier. It sparked change in her local community, leading to the firing of the four officers involved, a ban on police chokeholds and a federal investigation. It also became the catalyst for a global racial justice movement.
There is of course a drawback to this. Because anyone can share news, there is always the chance that news you read online could be false.
“Misinformation, click bait, comment sections, information on Twitter being taken as gospel. It can be very frustrating and I think we’ve seen, especially with Covid, how important media literacy is. The amount of information that was shared in WhatsApp groups that was false was just unbelievable. We need to educate people to check where the information has come from, are they a legitimate source, is there any research or fact behind what they are saying.” (Sorcha MacMahon).
Because content is everywhere, moves quickly and we’re consuming so much of it, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish trusted news sources from unreliable ones. To counteract this, we’ve seen a big push from social media giants like Facebook and Twitter to stamp down on fake news sites etc. Twitter even added a warning on a lot of tweets like Trump’s that the information could not be verified, which was a big move on their part. Nobody likes censorship so even that small step was a big deal. Ultimately, it’s those at the top of their game in those industries who need to take some social responsibility to negate the negative effects of new media.
How New Media Affects Professional Communicators?
Professional communicators have such an important job. They will use their voice (either their own or on behalf of someone else) and spread it out into the world so that it will be heard by the desired publics. With that in mind, it is so important that professional communicators stay up-to-date. What I mean by this is that with a majority of communication tactics being online, and even more so to social media, the role of a professional communicator now involves tasks such as writing online press releases, social media posts, digital publication, etc. They have to monitor and analyse the digital communication channels and respond accordingly and utilise these channels when appropriate to keep up-to-date with the times we live in.
Of course, the biggest change to Professional Communicators in regards to new media is perhaps the biggest landmine they should avoid. As mentioned above, misinformation is just as promenade on the internet as regular news. What is now commonly called “Fake News” is now even associated with any political news stories thanks to Trump. It can be difficult to tell whether stories are credible or not on the internet. Information overload and a general lack of understanding about how the internet works by people has also contributed to an increase in fake news or hoax stories. Social media sites can play a big part in increasing the reach of these type of stories. We tend to follow people online who share our view and opinions. This creates a “social media bubble” – almost like an echo chamber. And all it takes is for an influential figure – say a candite for US President – within that Media Bubble to call “Fake News” and suddenly you have a whole group of people who discredit that news. The same applies to the reverse – promoting Fake news as legitimate is incredibly dangerous. Fake news is the 21st Century form of Propaganda. And it doesn’t take much now-a-days to spread misinformation.
Professional communicators also need to have at least a basic idea of “digital appeal” – it’s not enough to type up a piece and post it online. Online readers expect graphics, images, something flashy to grab their attention away from other news sources.
“We see more and more clients looking for digital communications and online campaigns like Google Ads and social media advertising. The line is being blurred between traditional PR and online marketing so I feel as PR professionals we need to be more versatile. It’s very easy now to brush up on those skills online within a few hours and have a very basic understanding of google analytics or basic graphic design”. (Sorcha MacMahon).
In the words of Rupert Murdoch; “The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.” Those now born in the Digital Age have an advantage over those who weren’t, as those born into the digital age have a broader understanding of it. Most children know how to navigate the web before they enter primary school now. The younger generation have grown up using digital devices and tactics while older, more traditional practitioners’ risk being left behind. “We need to realize that the next generation of people accessing news and information, whether from newspapers or any other source, have a different set of expectations about the kind of news they will get, including when and how they will get it, where they will get it from, and who they will get it from.” (Murdoch, 2005)
Professional Communicators must always be adapting, always up-to-date with the latest trends, always aware of the online algorithm. Their content much be searchable, it must be legitimate, and it must contain more then just words. It needs to be appealing, not just to the audience but to the search engine. Using hyperlinks, embedding target words and phrases, and making sure that they have relevance to the piece. Understanding this is one of the most important things a communicator can learn to navigate the digital space. The internet is all a competition to see whose story gets to the top of the homepage after searching. If your article is on the 2nd page of the google page after searching for your articles name, then you’ve done something wrong.
The Internet, and especially Social Media, have for sure changed the way we consume content, and how we write and deliver our content. The news will continue to shape around whatever is trending online, and for that reason, it will continue to change how we view the news.