NEW MEDIA VS. OLD MEDIA

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW MEDIA

In communication, Media can be defined as the diverse forms of communication channels that help a sender of mass produced content of information to send a message technologically or manually to a group of people or an individual.

Old media otherwise known as Traditional Media, is defined as the traditional means of transmitting information to large heterogeneous audience before the advent of the Internet. Examples of the traditional media are: Television, radio, newspaper, magazines, and books.

The  new media is defined by Bailey Socha and Barbara Eber-Schmid as “ interactive forms of communication that use the Internet, including podcast, RSS feeds, social networks, text messaging, blogs, wikis, virtual worlds and more!

New media makes it possible for anyone to create, modify, and share content and share it with others, using relatively simple tools that are often free or inexpensive. New media requires a computer or mobile device with Internet access.

New media tools can help you:

• CONNECT people with information and services. This includes connecting individuals with healthcare providers and people living with HIV with one another. New media can also connect the families, friends, and caregivers of people living with HIV and AIDS to resources for their loved ones and themselves.
• COLLABORATE with other people—including those within your organisation or community.
• CREATE new content, services, communities, and channels of communication that help you deliver information and services.”

 Differences between the new media and the old media

In an attempt to distinguish between the old and new media, Paps Shaikh outlined the following: Users control what and when they consume, Media abundance means audience aggregation will become more important than contextual buys, User attention is not a constant and Fragmentation demands a clear demonstration of media value.

The above distinctions can be conceptualised as follows:

1. Content Control and Development

With regards to the development of media content and control, the old media enjoyed some level of authority over its audience. They developed contents they deemed important for audience. The old media as well, determined the appropriate time to disseminate such contents to the audience.

The advent of the new media has made it possible for audience to contribute to the content development process. Audience can now develop their own content and share them with friends within a twinkling of an eye.

2. Consumer Determinism

Unlike the old media, audience now has a vast array of media channels and platforms to access information they want. The new media gives satisfaction to specific audience. Audience now determines what to read, watch and hear at what time – an application of the uses-and-gratification theory.

3. Geographical Limitation

In terms of circulation and wave length, the old media was geographically limited to areas that have access to signals of radio and television. Newspaper was also limited to areas that can be accessed in terms of transportation and literacy.

The emergence of the new media has now eradicated all these barriers. People can now access information across the globe by just at a click on the various web pages and sites.

4. Audience Fragmentation

Audiences are now fragmented in terms of informational need and media use. The new media creates the opportunity for users to avail themselves of specific content such as sports, politics, health, entertainment etc. New media is able to segment the information market into specific niche with their needs satisfied accordingly at a cheaper cost. This is a great limitation of the old media.

Conclusion

In the above situations, media owners and content producers must resort to creative ways of producing creative contents that can be accessed on various platforms on the Internet and its tools.

They must also advance their technological know-how in order to meet the standards of the new dawn of the media. They must also improve in technology.

Rigorous research must also be conducted periodically to identify new trends in the media. This would enable them to be current on producing contents that are mostly liked by media users.