Some experts in the world of journalism have coined the transition from tangible news sources to a more digital format as “the end of mass media.” However, one may be confident this is an extremely fatalistic point of view. The desire to share information with others will always be a part of human society, the only thing that will change is the method and format which this information is received. The digital revolution has made it obvious that the future of news lays in the internet and other digital forms.
The democratizing power of the internet has made users able to find news that affects them more personally. Web sites like digg.com act as a filter, allowing the user to choose the most popular stories pertaining to the user’s specific topics of interest. From this, we can see that users will read news that is relevant to them and filter out things they would not read otherwise. For example, one may only want to read sports articles about Kansas basketball. From this, one could read only specified content on Kansas basketball and advertisers could advertise specific products such as basketball tickets and jerseys on this content to the user. However, the downside to this is reduced exposure to outside topics the user may not know they may be interested in.
Nothing on the internet displays the demand for more personal media than the popularity of blogs. Subscribers to blogs not only receive more personalized information, but may also comment on blog entries, sharing information and interacting with everyone who reads the blog. This new form of information and news will continue to place even more power on the fingertips of the average person; a continuing growing diversity will have their voices heard. As more and more people become active in this form of small scale citizen journalism, how will the role of the traditional reporter and the traditional news industry change?
There is no question that the need for the customary print or television reporter will continue to falter. However, there will always be a need for quality reporting. The only difference in the quality reporting is the method in which it is received. There is still, and possibly always will be, an underlying layer of mistrust for common lay reporting. Because of this mistrust people will continue to look to more trustworthy sources of information. In order to keep supplying the highest quality information, it is no secret that the news is dependent on funding from advertisements.
Even with the democratizing of news, the marketing sector of media will only become more important in the future. However, the way advertisements are presented will change. Advertisers will become more aware of the audience which they seek, and will simply try all the harder to reach that specific audience. Whether that means advertisers will work hand in hand to promote their product with blog authors, or banners on the top of a web page marketing a good will only become bigger is unknown. Still, one can be sure advertisers will pay much more attention to the audience they are reaching, and the brand of the media.
As media advances farther and farther into the 21st century, the consumption of news will never become superfluous. If anything, news will be all the more available. Media sensitive to the individual user will be available twenty four hours a day, with instantaneous distribution. News filters will exist that make the consumption of news quicker and more personal. Advertisements will play only a larger and more interactive role in media. Yes, the media will change dramatically in the years to come; however, this change is in no way, “the end of mass media.”
By Kayla Regan and Aric Toler