The introduction of new media has created various challenges to the old media in the recent decades. From the onset, it is important to note that the development of internet from the 1980s to date has been swifter than other communication media. For many centuries the old media, which comprises of the mainstream platforms such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, has been used as a platform for advertising and communication. Although the old media has been an effective way of marketing for many years, the advent of new media led by the internet and the subsequent professional and social platforms such as Amazon.com, Facebook and Twitter has revolutionized communication, advertising, and sharing of information in contemporary societies. Ultimately, the emergence of new media has had a considerable effect on the old media in many aspects in terms of the production process, credibility, and the audience base. The internet has developed into a global phenomenon of sharing information leading to greater exposure as compared to the old media platforms whose audience has continued to dwindle as more people embrace the digital media platforms.
Some of the benefits that the internet has over the old media forms include the fact that there is more space for people to express their thoughts and beliefs. In this regard, the new media has managed to transform audiences from being passive listeners and readers to creators and transmitters of information (Creeber and Martin, 2009). Through the internet, individuals are able to create news, to comment on issues, and to get different perspectives of the story. The increased use of internet is made possible because it has fewer restrictions as compared to other media platforms such as the newspaper and television where reporters have to adhere to the rules and regulations set out by the relevant corporation and the government. It is apparent that much of the information that people share through the internet is more candid leading to increased levels of trust and credibility, an aspect that has continued to dent the credibility perceptions and the manner of reporting from the mainstream media (Griffin, 2009). There is also the aspect of quick transition and access of information from one website to the next while using the internet, meaning that one is able to access as much information as possible within a short time. This is unlike the print newspapers where one has to use more resources to acquire and even more time to trace specific information.
It is apparent that the old media has recognized the ripple effect that the internet has had on virtually all generations. This is evidenced by the fact that internet users are able to access information from different websites set out by the producers of old media. This aspect has ensured that the audiences are able to compare news and make their mind as to which is more believable. As such, the advent of the internet has created more focus on the credibility of the information shared through this platform as compared to the news in newspapers and television networks. Kaufman et al (1999) argues that credibility of information is determined by the credibility of the source and the credibility of the medium. As such, the audience will tend to believe information from a platform they perceive to be reliable, whether new or old media.
Through the internet individuals have the benefit of live reporting and instantaneous news as individuals and other news producers keep updating their websites with the latest information. This is in line with the fact that limitation of the old media extends to the number of people who can report and comment on issues while digital media enables virtually every person to communicate their sentiments and ideas. There is also the aspect of instantaneous responses whereby the audience can read a piece of information from the internet, comment on the same, and receive immediate responses. Immediate reporting of news and other happenings threaten make the old media such as newspapers obsolete given that in most, if not all, cases the newspapers have to wait until the next day to publish about the things that people already know from the internet (Jones, 2009).
The increase in the gadgets that can access the internet including mobile phones means that virtually every person can interact with digital media wherever whenever. Due to the increase in the ways in which people can access data from the internet signifies the growth of digital media which according to Kanne has had considerable effects on the print industry leading to the decline in the circulation and advertising income (Kanne, 2011). In particular, Kanne believes that among the old media platforms, the print media such as the newspapers and magazines are the most affected by the internet because they rely heavily on advertising revenue. More people and business entities are opting to advertise through the internet in order to capture the attention of a global audience as compared to the print media which can only reach people locally and nationally.
Accordingly, Slevin (2000) observes that the impact of new communication technologies has contributed enormously toward transforming the mass media. Slevin further evaluates the impact that the new technologies have on some of the old media including television and newspapers. He argues that although there are uncertainties regarding the impact of the sophisticated communication made possible by communication technology, thereof also a lack of social theory with which users can regulate their internet usage (Slevin, 2000). In this regard, the aspect of developing concepts and frameworks that would enable more people have a better understanding of the use of the internet arises.
For the past few years, it has become impossible for researchers to ignore the internet. While it is apparent that many scholars have largely ignored the impact of the internet in the past, that attitude has gradually changed due to the wealth of opportunities that it creates with regard to communication and access to information. Before the advent of the internet, many if not all researchers and physicians relied on the print media such as journals and textbooks as a primary mode of disseminating information (Kanne, 2011). For many physicians, access to the information provided in print media could only be after the usual business hours. Accordingly, many researchers are usually interested in particular articles rather than the entire journals and once the internet enabled them to access single articles the need to acquire whole journals and books was no longer fascinating. Kanne observes that as more researchers and physicians embraced the internet, many journals have had to design websites through which to provide information in the form of articles. He gives the example of the New England Journal of Medicine whose journals on its website are accessed through the internet about four times more the number of people compared to the print journals (Kanne, 2011).
Dewdney and Ride observe that the new media and particularly the digital networked systems establish a new pattern of thinking and representation (Dewdney & Ride, 2006). Besides the increase in the exchange of information by professionals through the internet as evidenced by the professional communities’ increased use of digital networks, it is noteworthy that professionals extend their relationships while also using the internet to maximize their impact within their respective professions. For instance, professionals are able to engage each other on various issues through specific websites that have made it easier to organize conferences where individuals are able to contribute to a number of lively discussions (Chun & Keenan, 2006).
Tailor and Harris in their book Critical Theories of Mass Media: Then and Now observe that mass media contributes immensely towards the evolution of humanity as well as the development of capitalism (Tailor& Harris, 2008, 84). As such, the continued improvement of the mass media with regard to the delivery of news and increase in the access of information is directly proportionate to the evolution of humanity from less informed individuals to people who are knowledgeable about the things that are happening around them. Accordingly, unlike the old media such as the newspapers and television networks that governments could control in terms of their reporting, governments have found it very difficult to have the same effect on the internet. This explains the reason why more governments are finding themselves unpopular such as the regimes in the Middle East countries that have had to experience turmoil due to mass protests that are usually fueled by internet conversations regarding the conduct of officials. In this regard, it has become very difficult for the newspapers and television networks to keep up with the internet media platforms. While discussing culture and society, Creeber and Martin observe that the new media as a universal sensation that has more influence on the society as compared to the old media (Creeber and Martin, 2009, 84).
With regard to the foregoing, the influence of the internet has on the development of mass media is immense. From the increase in the access to information to providing a platform for everyone to produce and convey their own news, the internet has created more opportunities than problems. The revolutionary aspect of the internet from the 1980s has created more appeal among countless audiences from every generation, which is arguably more than what the old media has managed to do for several centuries. The advent of internet has necessitated the emergence of credibility concerns not only within the new media but also within the old media platforms. By and large, the internet has revolutionized the culture of mass media in terms of reporting, sharing information, and synthesizing the news.
Reference List
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Griffin, E. 2009. A First Look at Communication Theory (7th Ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Jones, A. 2009. Losing the News: The Future of the News That Feeds Democracy. New York:
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Kanne, J. 2011. The digital media revolution: what it means for the AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology, 197(1), pp. 6-7.
Keenan, T. W. & Chun, W. H. K. 2006. New Media, Old Media: A History and Theory Reader.
New York: Routledge.
Slevin, J. 2000. The Internet and Society. Malden, MA: Polity Press.
