The Evolution of Newspapers - Literature review Example

Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : xxxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2013 Introduction Change is an inevitable aspect even in media. Throughout history, radio and newspapers have also undergone immense transformation. The two types of media have evolved to face the challenges that have arisen against them. Currently, these two sources have not completely adapted to the challenges that face them and are in a continuous state of evolvement. Radio developed extensively in the 20th century ushering in an age of mass communication where messages could be received by anyone in possession of the correct equipment and without the hindrance of wires. On the other hand, newspapers came into existence as early as 69 B.C, during the Roman empire where primitive sheets of paper known as acta Diurna were used to report the actions of the senate. In 1690, the first newspaper was published in the United States and only measured six by ten inches and filled 3 pieces of paper. From such humble beginnings, both radio and television have developed extensively up to the current regal status they enjoy. However, they are still besieged by challenges and are in need of a reinvention if they are to continue playing a significant role in communication. This paper discusses the steps being taken by newspapers and radio to remain relevant in a changing society and the effectiveness of television in society. Radio The impacts that the development of radio has had on the lives of people all over the world has been tremendous. It has enabled the transmission of information without the connection of wires. Individuals from all walks of life were able to share knowledge and information with likeminded individuals. Radio transmission was enhanced by the innovations of Guglielmo Marconi who invented the first transmitter and receiver. Radio could now be used by ships plying their trade in the transatlantic ocean to communicate with each other and also to transmit messages to land. Initial mass broadcasts could only be done at prearranged times. This was first done by a Dutch concert whose performance was tuned in as far away as Britain. Radio developed first after that because by 1930, radio sets were owned by families across the world from which they received news, entertainment and sports. Radio has had to reinvent itself over time. In the 1950s radio had to undergo a serious facelifts in order to compete with the emergence of television. Radio was forced to change itself into a service that was compatible with mobile environments such as portable radio and vehicles. However, current trends in radio are not so encouraging for its future. A survey done in Sweden on the future of Radio shows that; an extrapolation of data on radio listening predicts a drop in the number of people listening to radio (Fossi, 2011). This prediction is elaborated with information that the younger population has been found to listen to radio less often. This trend has been consistent since the 1980s until now and will probably continue if measures are not taken to reverse it. The migration of radio from analogue broadcasting to digital broadcasting is being carried out all over the world to usher radio into the digital era. In Great Britain, the national radio broadcasters have until 2015 to go digital by a government directive (MediaCT, 2010). By 2009, 21 percent of British radio was digitally transmitted. It not only in Britain that radio is being changed from analogue to digital but all over the world. Efforts are being made to transform normal analogue audio tapes to magnetic tape recordings that form the digital world. Hard disks can also be substituted for magnetic cards. The conversion of analogue systems to digital systems began when the British Broadcasting Corporation developed a system known as Near Instantaneously Compounded Audio Multiplex (NICAM 728). But this system was not favorable in transmitting audio o mobile receivers. This led to further research and development of the Eureka 147 Digital Audio Broadcaster which is being incorporated worldwide. This is not the only development because digital radio mondiale and digital video broadcasting have been developed to support the digital radio framework (Hoeg & Lauterbach, 2009). In Australia, digital radio is received in most parts of the country including Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Sidney. DAB+ is used by Australian broadcasters in the transmission of digital radio in these regions (acma, 2013; Fossi et al, 2008) Transformation of radio from analogue to digital is supposed to reinvent radio as we know it for the future. Digital transmission of audio makes it practical to make use of the high frequency bandwidths that are less crowded (Huurdeman, 2003). It provides an opportunity for radio users to enjoy higher quality sound and provides features for listeners to regulate the quality of sound as they so wish. Digitally transmitted radio also improves the usability by the listener as it eliminates searching for wavebands and provides customers with an option to select from a menu. Another advantage of digital broadcasting is the fact that unlike analogue radio, it has great reception conditions. This is because it eliminates interference and provides an uninterrupted signal. For a mobile receiver such as a person in a vehicle, Digital audio broadcasting eliminates the problem of multi-receivership of the signal; hence one is able to get the same signal strength without changing the frequency (Hoeg & Lauterbach, 2009; Arokiamary, 2008). Goddard (2010) argues that digital analogue broadcasting makes the future of radio appear brighter than previously anticipated. He explains this by giving an example of countries like Denmark and the United Kingdom which aim to transform their radio stations fully from analogue to digital. He points out that in France; the government issued a decree demanding for DAB radios to be fitted in all cars from 2014. He also shows that development of digital radio will present an opportunity to develop commercial radio that is impossible on the FM platform hence broadening the appeal for radio usage (Goddard, 2010) Other measures are being taken by radio to reinvent its image and increase its popularity among the general population. These include offering radio in high definition (HD) and providing access of radio services and programs on the internet. HD radio enables the transmission of digital content by radio stations. It offers a wider variety of fresh diverse content and in most cases provides an enlarged coverage of the material offered on the primary channel (IBIQUITY, 2013). In addition, provision of radio services through the internet is complementary. A study done by Targetspot points out that combining radio with the internet has a positive impact on the advertisement industry and improves the response of listeners to radio (Targetspot, 2011) Newspapers The origin and development of the newspaper started as early as 69 B.C. in the Roman Empire where activities of the senate were recorded on archaic sheets of paper. In China, the gazette was used to record activities that occurred at court while in German news was printed on one side of a sheet in the 1500s. This later developed into pamphlets that were sold in special shops and dealt with current issues that included coronations, natural disasters, battles and miracles. These pamphlets started appearing all over Europe in the 1700s due to the travels of people from German. Regular publications of newspapers in America begun in 1704 and was used in the fight for independence from Britain. After the revolution, the partisan press came into existence and involved the usage of newspapers to spread the ideas of politically interested groups. Due to the increased cost of producing the newspapers, a paper was designed to cater for the common person and was aimed at increasing the advertising revenue received by the newspaper. Newspapers developed into larger entities as advertising developed as their main source of income. The invention of the telegraph also enabled information to be channeled all over the world enabled the reporting of international news by newspapers. This enabled readers of newspapers to be in contact with events happening outside of their localities (Newspapers Canada, 2013) With the growth of television, radio and the rise of the internet and social media, further development of newspapers is in jeopardy. News is delivered on personal computers, smart phones and social media and this has led to the decline of consumption of news delivered by newspaper (Potts, 2012).Meyer (2009) reports that the number of newspaper readers have been declining steadily since the 1970s. There is therefore a need for newspapers to reinvent their mode of operation in order to stay relevant in the digital error. One way Meyer proposes to newspapers is the return of quality in their work. He argues that for some time, newspapers have neglected the quality of their product just because they want to preserve the monopoly of their profits. He advises newspaper owners and editors to renovate themselves into business models that are founded on public service and the progression of democracy. His view is therefore for newspapers to reinvent themselves into providers of quality journalism and the newspaper will still thrive in the future (Meyer, 2009).in speaking about the future fate of the Sidney Herald Tribune Young (2007) argues that the only way to save the newspaper is to broaden its coverage of news. He argues that increasing news coverage will enable the paper to appeal to more people hence a corresponding increase in sales. The future of newspapers, just like the radio, might also lie on the internet. Saxena (2004) presents a list of facts about conversion of the printed paper into a web paper. For the success of any business to proven successful, its economics must be favorable. That is to say that it must be providing a profit. Saxena points out that the cost of running a paper on the web is so much lower than running the printed version of the paper. 40 percent can be saved by a media house from running costs by converting from print media onto the web. These savings will be done on newsprint, expenses sustained by the media house in transporting the newspaper to the reader and the money paid to newspaper vendors. Providing the newspaper on the web will also enable easier access of the reader to the stories of his choice. The access and retrieval of items in the papers is also eased hence increasing the convenience of the system. Additionally, printed newspapers suffer from a disadvantage of not being updated as further stories develop. This is a disadvantage as readers have to await the release of another paper at another time. This is disadvantageous to readers hence they turn to more flexible sources like television, radio or social media. Providing a newspaper on the web allows updates to be carried out at any time of the day. This gives reader the opportunity to access breaking news of their choice throughout the day. Another disadvantage of the printed newspaper that is offset by the provision of the web based newspapers is limited space. Printed newspapers are limited by the amount of space provided for news and most times stories are cut due to the lack of space. Interactivity between the reader and the newspaper is also provided for by web based newspapers. Instead of readers reacting to stories by tedious sources like mail, they can react at once to stories on the web (Saxena, 2004) In supporting transfer of newspapers from printed media onto the web, the economist magazine advocates for the use of the paywall system. This system restricts the access of some or all of its content on the web until a reader pays for the service. This system allows the generation of revenue by the media house in conduction with online advertising. Content from these newspapers is also available on tablet computers and smart phones. This can form an important form of digital revenue to media houses. Readers can therefore be converted into paying for digital newspapers which will effectively reinvent the newspaper to keep up with the digital era (Koen, 2011) Effectiveness of Television Television is used as an educational medium, an entertainment medium and an advertising medium. Its effectiveness in carrying out this core functions is however a matter of debate. Aric Sigman, a psychologist in Britain argues that the use of television in the classroom as an educational media can cause underperformance. He points out that television is more of an entertainment tool but is less effective when used as a tool for enhancing education (theguardian, 2007). However, this view is not held by everyone. Robinson (2011) argues that as long as programming is regulated, television becomes an effective educational medium where minors are taught and inspired. He appoints out that the core problem of television is the dissemination of inappropriate content. Therefore, if a solution can be found for avoiding inappropriate content and the development of educational material, television can be used to develop the minds of minors. He points out that television programs educate children about issues ranging from environmental education, history, culture, creativity, responsibility and moral values (Robinson, 2013). Yang (2009) supports Robinson’s argument. He points out that fresh knowledge can be provided by television. Learning about different cultures of the world is made possible by the use of television hence its effectiveness as an educational tool. Informative content on television also complements the educational information learned in schools. It can also provide practical information and knowledge to viewers. This includes advice in job hunting, farming, carpentry among other content provided on television (Yang, 2009). Television is also helpful in providing its viewers with cognitive development and is effective as a medium for providing education to remote areas (Vyas et al, 2002) With the development of the internet and social media, one would be forgiven for thinking that the effectiveness of television advertising has ended. A study done on advertising executives for television stations points out that they still have faith in the effectiveness of television advertising. The visual nature of television coupled with the wide audience of television enables the continued use of TV advertising. Automobile companies, jewelry marketing, banking and insurance companies are some of the most consistent advertisers on television (Lamb, 2013). The Benton group (2011) attributes the effectiveness of television advertising to the large number of people owning television. There is no opposition available on the use of television as an entertainment tool. The success of both the educational TV model and the advertising platform depend on the entertainment quality of television. This is evidenced by the large amounts of money paid by advertisers for a slot during the super bowl. Television is an important entertainer as it provides access to sports, movies, series and animated content. Conclusion Radio and newspapers are reinventing themselves for what the future holds. Both radio and newspapers all over the world have made steps to enter into the digital error so as to be effective in the dissemination of their services. Radio is making giant strides to turn digital with most countries utilizing Digital Audio Broadcasting or are on the verge of doing so. On the other hand, newspapers are turning digital with the provision of their content on the web. It is therefore safe to say that, with the steps being taken by these two entities, they are taking enough steps to remain credible in the future. Television is an effective tool in the distribution of knowledge, an effective advertisement tool and still plays an important role as an entertainment medium. Automobile companies, jewelry companies, insurance institutions and banking organizations turn to the effectiveness of television advertising to promote their products and services. References Acma, 2013, Digital radio, available at Arokiamary, V. J., 2008, Mobile computing, Pune: India Benton group, 2011, Why is TV Advertising so Effective?, available at Fossi, M. A. et al, 2008, The future of radio is still digital,-but which one? Expert Perspectives and Future Scenarios for Radio Media in 2015, Journal of Radio & Audio Media, Vol 15 (1), 4 - 25 Fossi, M. A., 2011, Radio evolution and its impact on Audiences, available at Goddard, G., 2010, DAB Digital Radio: Licensed to Fail, London: Radio Books Hoeg, W. & Lauterbach, 2009, Digital Audio Broadcasting: Principles and Applications of DAB, DAB + and DMB, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Huurdeman, A.A., 2003, The Worldwide History of Telecommunications, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons IBIQUITY, 2013, What is HD radio broadcasting?, available at Koen, V., 2011, Reinventing the newspaper, the economist magazine, 7th July, available at Lamb, R., 2013, Are television ads effective, luxury daily magazine, 4th April, available at MediaCT, 2010, The Future of Radio: Living in a digital Britain, available at Meyer, P., 2009, The Vanishing Newspaper [2nd Ed]: Saving Journalism in the Information Age, Missouri: University of Missouri Press Newspapers Canada, 2013, the evolution of newspapers, available at Potts, M., 2012, a vision for the future of newspapers-20 years ago, Robinson, P., 2013, Television is not to blame for children’s lack of education, the telegraph, 4th April, available at Saxena, 2004, Breaking News: The Craft and Technology of Online Journalism, Noida: Tata McGraw-Hill Education Targetspot, 2011, Internet Radio Advertising Impact Study, available at < http://www.iab.net/media/file/TargetSpotInc_AdImpactStudy_WhitePaper2011.pdf> Theguardian, 2007, Television can harm learning, finds study, the guardian newspaper, 29th January, available at < http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/jan/29/schools.uk > Vyas, R. V., Sharma, R. C. & Kumar, A., 2002, educational television in India, Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE, Vol 3 (4) Yang, Y., 2009, TV’s function: educate or entertain?, available at Young, M., 2007, Death, Sex and Money: Life Inside a Newspaper, Melbourne: Melbourne Univ. Publishing Read More

Radio was forced to change itself into a service that was compatible with mobile environments such as portable radio and vehicles. However, current trends in radio are not so encouraging for its future. A survey done in Sweden on the future of Radio shows that; an extrapolation of data on radio listening predicts a drop in the number of people listening to radio (Fossi, 2011). This prediction is elaborated with information that the younger population has been found to listen to radio less often.

This trend has been consistent since the 1980s until now and will probably continue if measures are not taken to reverse it. The migration of radio from analogue broadcasting to digital broadcasting is being carried out all over the world to usher radio into the digital era. In Great Britain, the national radio broadcasters have until 2015 to go digital by a government directive (MediaCT, 2010). By 2009, 21 percent of British radio was digitally transmitted. It not only in Britain that radio is being changed from analogue to digital but all over the world.

Efforts are being made to transform normal analogue audio tapes to magnetic tape recordings that form the digital world. Hard disks can also be substituted for magnetic cards. The conversion of analogue systems to digital systems began when the British Broadcasting Corporation developed a system known as Near Instantaneously Compounded Audio Multiplex (NICAM 728). But this system was not favorable in transmitting audio o mobile receivers. This led to further research and development of the Eureka 147 Digital Audio Broadcaster which is being incorporated worldwide.

This is not the only development because digital radio mondiale and digital video broadcasting have been developed to support the digital radio framework (Hoeg & Lauterbach, 2009). In Australia, digital radio is received in most parts of the country including Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Sidney. DAB+ is used by Australian broadcasters in the transmission of digital radio in these regions (acma, 2013; Fossi et al, 2008) Transformation of radio from analogue to digital is supposed to reinvent radio as we know it for the future.

Digital transmission of audio makes it practical to make use of the high frequency bandwidths that are less crowded (Huurdeman, 2003). It provides an opportunity for radio users to enjoy higher quality sound and provides features for listeners to regulate the quality of sound as they so wish. Digitally transmitted radio also improves the usability by the listener as it eliminates searching for wavebands and provides customers with an option to select from a menu. Another advantage of digital broadcasting is the fact that unlike analogue radio, it has great reception conditions.

This is because it eliminates interference and provides an uninterrupted signal. For a mobile receiver such as a person in a vehicle, Digital audio broadcasting eliminates the problem of multi-receivership of the signal; hence one is able to get the same signal strength without changing the frequency (Hoeg & Lauterbach, 2009; Arokiamary, 2008). Goddard (2010) argues that digital analogue broadcasting makes the future of radio appear brighter than previously anticipated. He explains this by giving an example of countries like Denmark and the United Kingdom which aim to transform their radio stations fully from analogue to digital.

He points out that in France; the government issued a decree demanding for DAB radios to be fitted in all cars from 2014. He also shows that development of digital radio will present an opportunity to develop commercial radio that is impossible on the FM platform hence broadening the appeal for radio usage (Goddard, 2010) Other measures are being taken by radio to reinvent its image and increase its popularity among the general population. These include offering radio in high definition (HD) and providing access of radio services and programs on the internet.

HD radio enables the transmission of digital content by radio stations.

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