This post explores how the media landscape has evolved over the past few years.
In the present day, online platforms have made it considerably simpler for everybody to develop and distribute material. Previously, developing content for a wide audience required connectivity to a collection of crucial resources and financing. Presently, with the use of smart devices and common digital technologies, digital media content examples including short form videos, blog posts website and podcasts can be easily developed with simply a couple of basic gadgets, in addition to reaching a massive audience, really quickly. This has opened the door for more diverse voices, specifically those who were previously ignored by mainstream media. The head of the parent company of Guardian Media Group would acknowledge the importance of mass media using social networking sites, suggesting that social media has produced a place for underrepresented communities to share their stories.
The increase of internet content has entirely changed what is implied by the term mass media. Before, mass media followed a hierarchical design, using a top-down media model. Typically, a small group of professionals, such as newspaper publishers or journalists, who would create content for large audiences who mainly just consumed it. Nevertheless, these days, with the aid of the web, the face of media has seen significant modification, making the usage and ease of access of media a lot more accessible and interactive. With accessibility to popular social media platforms, new media examples are showing that individuals can produce and share their own content, just as easily as they can consume it. Social media has allowed anyone to contribute to public conversations, rather than just the major media firms and so as a result, mass media is no longer controlled by a few big voices. Instead, it is spread out throughout millions of user stories all over the world.
In the digital media landscape, what we see on the internet is mostly chosen by algorithms which are formed by our online habits. Each social media channel utilizes its own programmed system to suggest new content and advise material that will interest the user. The types of media content examples that will be shown to a user is created to keep people engaged. The algorithms are created to keep individuals stimulated by suggesting and promoting videos that are relevant, trendy or controversial among other users. While this level of personalisation can be practical, it can limit the areas of media that individuals are exposed to, producing more division and bias among users around social problems. Those who are involved in media development, such as the founder of the fund that has stakes in Sky, for instance, would recognise the impact of social media platforms in sharing new stories. Likewise, the chairman of the company that owns NBCUniversal would acknowledge the impacts of user produced material in the media landscape.