The world we live in is quickly advancing, and with each advancement, it appears more information is easily at our fingertips. Internet portals such as computers and cell phones, television, blogs, and podcasts all give rise to the question of where new media fits in. Newspapers, journals, and other forms of old media are still in syndication. However, this cannot be expected to last for much longer if new forms of media continue to advance as they have done. There are many differences in the two types of media, with an ever-widening gap, and not many similarities. New media could potentially put an end to the old forms of media all together.
The traditional forms of old media society is familiar with are newspapers, journals, periodicals, and books . Despite the fact that these forms of media are still around, old individuals must wonder what it would be like to hand a younger person an Encyclopedia and ask them to complete a school report on a certain topic. It would be unfair to do this anyway because many Encyclopedias are now filled with outdated information. The progression of media outlets is not the only thing that has advanced; we have also learned an exponential amount about the world around us. It has left much of the information in books false, which does not help how people see old media at large. Newspapers and journal articles are viewed as an almost archaic method of getting information to many, especially younger generations. Many individuals a part of older generations also no longer prefer newspapers to get their information, citing that it can be too time consuming according to, “New Media, Old News: Journalism and Democracy in the Digital Age .
Forms of new media are not only viewed as trendy and modern, but they offer the speed and comfort information seekers desire. Most importantly, new media such as internet portals and blogs are essentially more likely to stay up to date on the latest happenings than a newspaper . Reporters and bloggers can post new articles and findings as events unfold. In contrast, newspapers only come out once a day. Scientific findings can also be posted to the internet immediately, discussed on any twenty-four hour news broadcast channel, or inserted into any nightly podcast. However, some journals only come out once a week, once a month, or four times a year, leaving readers at a vast disadvantage to those who stay current through new media. New media stays current and fast, which readers enjoy. Some news sources, such as Twitter have even recorded news in real time. Citizens in the streets have documented revolutions in Iraq, Turkey, and Egypt as they happened . New media has the potential to turn anybody into a journalist, giving the masses an unbiased view of incidents that would otherwise by misconstrued by the media. Bogging also has the potential to do this. New media also offers an element of personalization, allowing individuals to be greeted with their name, and even design web pages to their liking when they log in to certain accounts for news.
It is clear that each form of media is very different from the other. The true issue is whether one is better than the other. Though old media is viewed as ancient and new media is quick and relatively reliable, the better choice would typically be the most trustworthy option. As stated in, “Old Against New, or a Coming of Age? Broadcasting in an Era of Electronic Media,” unfortunately neither form has been proven more trustworthy than the other . In fact, both are untrustworthy for their own reasons. Old media desperately requires sponsors with new media taking over every possible outlet available, raising suspicion that some news and journal reports may be biased based on sponsorship. In contrast, because no many new forms of media require any sponsorship, i.e. blogs, Twitter, independent podcasts, some of these news sources are no more than the writer’s opinion . Many readers do not realize this fact, nor do they perform any independent research to clarify facts or claims concerning either media form. However, while both are suspect to suspicions, new forms of media such as the internet allow the individual to seek information that is more valid. Google Scholar and other databases provide individuals with peer reviewed, unbiased articles and information that can be compared with any news reports or media.
In sum, though old media and new media have the same intention, they are very different. Old media is swiftly becoming outdated and expensive. New media provides faster updates with a wider variety of portals to access stories. Though the stories may only offer opinions, and may be unreliable at times, new media will allow readers to check information in databases. These advancements will eventually make old media obsoletely. Physical newspapers, journals, and periodicals will be phased out, leaving the material to be published on newer forms of media.
References
Fenton, Natalie. New Media, Old News: Journalism and Democracy in the Digital Age. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2010. Book.
Geiger, R. Stuart and Airi Lampinen. "Old Against New, or a Coming of Age? Broadcasting in an Era of Electronic Media." Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media (2014): 333-341. Article.
Pavlick, John V. Journalism and New Media. New York: Columbia University Press, 2013. Book.
