Media Content Dissemination: Influence of Information Technology - Essay Example

Media Introduction Information technology has considerably influenced on media content dissemination. Before the rise of this information age, paper-based news were mainly reported and read by the newspaper readers and the only medium in the form of hard-copy newspaper was available. Thanks to the increased application and dissemination of the Internet, which is a key source for globalising news, through the official websites of newspapers, and the latest invention is the social media. Social media represents resources and provides a platform to share content in the form of images, video, opinion, news, humour, insight, ideas and so on (Drury, 2008). Drury (2008) further elaborates that the social networking sights, such as Facebook and Twitter, are two important platforms where people have created virtual identity for sharing different types of content and interacting with each other; thereby, social media democratises the content in its all forms. The scope of this paper is to elaborate on the news consumption and translate that consumption into further interaction and into tangible form such as buying or subscribing to news and information. In this regard, it is essential to highlight that the news dissemination purpose is to increase awareness and enable consumers to make well-informed decisions relating to products and services which are being offered through marketing on social media and other forms which disseminate information and news. Keeping this view in mind, the social media, particularly the role of social networking sites will be closely discussed for producing, marketing, distributing and consuming the news. For this objective, following sections will highlight the role of social media with the above mentioned aspects of news. First, social media and production of news section has been given. It is followed by social media and marketing of news part has been included. Subsequently, social media and distribution of news segment has been incorporated. Before the conclusion part, social media and consumption of news section has been provided. Social media and production of media content Social media facilitates and empowers the rise of citizen journalism. Citizen journalism refers to individuals, who are not formally member of any news agency, produce, report, and upload any news through using the medium of the Internet and more specifically the social media sites (Bryant, 2006). Silverblatt (2013) differently describe the use and prominence of the citizen journalism on the land of the social networking sites by explaining that the citizen journalism refers to audience-driven news production and distribution that bypass the conventional news and information gatekeepers. Similarly, citizen journalism is not specific to any political or economic news items but encompasses all types of media content that has social, cultural, traditional outlook (Clarke and Bromley, 2012). Based on this information, it can be deduced that the application of citizen journalism relies on the use of the social media sites and availability or access to any news items that has social, regional, international, local, cultural, economic and financial significance. Without this importance, the media content will not be useful and productive enough to attract the attention of the consumers of the social media sites. In this regard, it is pertinent to quote an example of a social media user who shared the news relating to the killing of Osama bin Laden. Newman (2011) quotes the story of Sohaib Athar, a Twitter user and IT consultant living in Abbottabad (Pakistan), who first broke the news on the virtual land of the Twitter. Figure 1: Tweet from Sohaib Ather, 2 May (1:00 a.m. Pakistan time) Source: (Newman, 2011) In this quoted information, the user is not a part of any news agency, which is commonly mandated to carry out the reporting of such high-value targets, instead such news, is being reported by an individual who has no direct financial interest by reporting any news. However, the magnitude of news item was so immense that even a social media got tempted to report the unusual activity around his town. Moreover, the importance of this reporting can also gauged from the fact that an official report by Newman on the rise of social media and its ever increasing prominence and use in the news, has been specifically quoted this example of citizen journalism in which the social media also provides platform for breaking the news items which have higher value in the traditional news agencies. At the same time, this reporting standard has also highlighted that the social media has enabled its users to bypass the traditional methods and styles of reporting news items besides circumventing the role of gatekeepers for assessing the content usability for the intended audience. Social media and marketing of media content Marketing is considerably different in social media and in the conventional media (Drury, 2008). In the conventional media, such as radio, newspaper, television and even news websites, marketing remains one way in which only message is delivered whereas two way interaction takes place in which relationship and conversation take place with the active audience particularly on the land of the social media (Drury, 2008). In other words, marketing in the traditional methods has been less productive and less effective as well as it only serves to disseminate news and information to the general public. From a marketing perspective, this cannot serve the whole purpose of disseminating information because the prime objective of marketing is to enable potential customers to come forward and buy the marketed products. Also, in the traditional media, marketing remains general not specific. And this problem has been appropriately understood and applied through using the targeted audience on the land of the social networking sites. For example, Zarrella (2010) highlights that IBM currently owns around 100 unique blogs along with several Twitter accounts for promoting and marketing its products to the intended customers who are also the users of the Twitter and other social networking sites. Additionally, IBM publishes a machinma series, a cartoon video through using the platform of You Tube; Dell uses social media for its IdeaStorm website where users are encouraged to cast their vote along with giving comments on the submissions (Zarrella, 2010). Comparison between social media and non-social media proves the improved interaction between sellers and consumers of news. For example, in the traditional media, the users and potential consumers have no right to comment on the quality and other features of information and news given on the content marketed through traditional media. Consequently, this creates a gap between both sellers and consumers in which consumers and general or specific audience fail to communicate their expectations, choices, tastes and preferences to companies. On the other hand, this gap can be filled through using the social media sites where communication and interaction between news providers and news consumers is common and that interaction takes place regularly almost every day. Through this interaction, news items receive feedback from consumers and accommodate them as they find appropriate. The use of video for disseminating information and news is gaining momentum in the social media and other platforms. Cisco (2014) forecasts that video will account for 69 per cent of all consumer internet traffic by the end of 2017. Fundamentally, the Internet has provided land on which virtual dwellers can live and surf what they want to whereas the social media is like an individual building on that land in which users directly communicate with those who live inside that building. And, in order to increase effectiveness of such interaction, it is highly essential that the users must understand the requirements of each other and this understanding will enable them to satisfy the requirements. Within this background, it is essential to highlight that many users of social media, including news websites, upload videos for marketing their products and services that they offer. A closer analysis to the use of video for marketing signifies that using video for disseminating information is considerable effective as outshines the traditional tools such as images and graphics used in the newspapers. As images and graphics are static in their nature, the use of video attracts information consumers easily attracts the eye and attention as it is inbuilt to effectively put across the message given in the advertisement. Social media and distribution of media content Social media has considerably increased the distribution of media content. Newman (2011) studies the role of social networking sites for distributing the news and referrals and points out that the access to BBC from Facebook has increased over 400 per cent till the end of 2010. This rapid and substantial increase in distribution from social networking sites signifies that the role of social media has gained prominence in the field of journalism as it has enabled many users to head towards the news websites through using the platform of social networking sites. However, within this background, it has been highlighted that both interpretation and distribution of news stories considerably rely on individuals and their preferences and other external resources (Domingo et al., 2008). This signifies that the social media users do not follow the conventional wisdom and trend that is commonly followed by the professional journalists while reporting or breaking any news item instead they (social media consumers) only intend to distribute those news and information that they consider relevant and important. Additionally, the social media users are not professionally sound and equipped to highlight a story from a particular perspective which is commonly done in the field of journalism. For example, every story has different dimensions and it is up to the wish and will of the reporter to highlight and report that angle that he or she prefers or only highlights that aspect which is professionally recommended by the news agency. Consequently, the story will be read, heard and understood in the way it has been reported or highlighted as well. However, as far as this aspect of journalism is concerned, it is considerably challenging for the social media users to report or highlight news by keeping in line with the journalistic guidelines Moreover, if a social media user distributes information or news items that act of distribution may not be carried out by keeping in view the journalistic requirements instead it may be a fun for them to share or distribute such information to other social media users. Social media and consumption of news Social media has become the most effective place for political events. For example, Hicks (2010) reports that mock 2010 UK elections were held on Facebook in which Nick Clegg representing Liberal Democrats secured 42 per cent vote whereas David Cameron representing the Conservative Party obtained 31 per cent and Gordon Brown of the Labour Party received 27 per cent of the total votes. This example demonstrates that the social media is not only limited to marketing the commercial goods and services instead it also facilitates political events in which the members of social media participate and provide their verdict relating to the actual voting results. In other words, the social media users consume all such news and information that is distributed through social media and the subsequent consideration takes place for making a decision relating to the voting and other political activities as well. However, there are certain inherent limitations relating to the use of social media for conducting the virtual political activities and the subsequent results may not be relevant the actual ground reality. For example, for using and accessing to a social networking account, only password and login name are required and access to such accounts has become easy because of hacking activity in which users’ personal account information is stolen and is used. More importantly, the affected account holder will not be able to know whether the account has been hacked and has been used for illegal purposes. Under this situation, it will be very difficult to rely on the social media for effectively representing the actual realities. Thereby, social media sites are only useful for conducting the mock examination and mock elections and drills as they are totally unfit to replace the actual or physical activities. Conclusion The social media has profoundly influenced on the production, distribution, marketing and consumption of the media content. The social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are important sites which put the major effect on the news. For example, the concept of citizen journalism has played a key role as it has enabled everyone to produce the media content through bypassing the traditional mechanism, such as gatekeepers. In this regard, on his Twitter account, Sohaib Athar first broke the news relating to the killing of Osama bin Laden. Such reporting exemplifies that the role of social media has enabled all citizens to report and break news by using their social media account. And many companies have made their official accounts on the social media sites for marketing and promoting their products and services. Comparatively, the social media platform has enabled them to directly interact with their existing and potential customers for knowing their choices, preferences and tastes; this facility has not been provided by the conventional media, such as television, radio and newspaper where marketing is one-directional in which only news or information is broadcasted. At the same time, the use of video for spreading information is also increasing in which instead of using static images more dynamic display and coverage of news is given. Moreover, the social media is also used for distributing the media content. And the consumption of news can also be exhibited by the fact the mock UK elections were held on the land of Facebook. References Bryant, S.C. (2006). Video Blogging for Dummies. New Jersey: Wiley. CISCO, (2014). CISCO Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Methodology, 2013-2018. Accessed: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/ip-ngn-ip-next-generation-network/white_paper_c11-481360.html Accessed: 15 December, 2014 Clarke, J., & Bromley, M. (Eds.). (2012). International News in the Digital Age: East-West Perceptions of a New World Order. New York: Routledge. Domingo, D., Quandt, T., Heinonen, A., Paulussen, S., Singer, J.B., & Vujnovic, M. (2008). Participatory Journalism Practices in the Media and Beyond: An international comparative study of initiatives in online newspapers. Journalism Practices, 2(3), 326-342. Drury, G. (2008). 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