Relationship between the Traditional Media and Social Media1332 - Essay Example

Relationship between the Traditional Media and Social Media Introduction For over a decade media has proven to be a crucial channel for individuals and organizations to communicate to regular population. Salanova states that in all those years, mass media; television, the press, and radio has dominated as the only channel through which information is communicated (2012). However, this has not been the case over the last few years, the traditional models of media business has been taken over by a new form of media; social media. Social media has rapidly and consistently grown with its impact mostly being felt in professions such as public relations, journalism, advertising and marketing. Social media network such as Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube continue to be the driving force of different political revolts across the world. For example, the Iranian green movement, Arab upraise, Egypt and Tunisia revolutions greatly used social media in coordinating and disseminating information (Hodkinson, 2010). Social media gave every citizen the opportunity to be part of the revolutionary process which could have been impossible with traditional media. Social media act as an enzyme to revolutionary process through the world. Most research on media has mainly focused on which of the two forms of media is the best to use while communicating, advertising, or marketing. However, today more emphases need put in identifying the best way in which both forms of media can be utilized to achieve even a much effective communication tool. With the popularity and the low cost of using social media it is obvious that social media would be the most preference means of communication (Salanova, 2012). However, when used both at the same time, as opposed to using one, the message intended is communicated to even a much larger audience. Understanding the relationship between the traditional media and social media will give better insight on the role social media played in the green revaluation in the Arabic world. This paper will, therefore, review the connection between the two forms of media by outlining some of their similarities, differences, benefits, and whether social media complements or displaces traditional media. Similarities between traditional media and social media Similarities between the two forms of media exceed the differences. The most common aspect between the two forms of media is the need to plan. Planning involves coming up with the right information, disseminating it to the right audience and producing the intended reaction. Secondly, planning also entails evaluating and employing the right and effective channels. Effectives in media, greatly relies on the simplicity and clarity of the message, as well as, the channel used to pass the message. It is, therefore, important to learn what best suits your potential customer, before deciding the form of media to use (Salanova, 2012). The other common aspect is that both forms of media end-results can be measured and the measurement used as a guide to making improvements. Similar to a good plan, the result achieved when using any of the two forms can be quantified. With traditional media you can quantify result by analyzing foot traffic, sales made and customer data during the campaign. With social media campaign, results can be measured real-time comments, online traffic, uploaded photos, and number of hashtags. Differences between traditional media and social media The first difference between the two forms of media is realized in marketing and advertising. The level of targeting customer specificity achieved in either case varies extensively. With tradition media specificity is based on probability and chance while it is possible with social media to zero in to a specific group. Therefore, in order for traditional media to reach a certain group, the resources of doing so must put into account the rest of the groups. The other difference is the cost incurred when using either form. With tradition media you need designers, commentators and printing money to start a campaign which is not a necessity with online campaign (Salanova, 2012). Advantages of social media Today’s social media come with numerous advantages to every individual or organization with access to internet and a device. The first benefit is that social media creates a broad platform for content author entry. Any person has the freedom to communicate anything via the sites provided. The second advantage is that with social media there are no cost barriers. Gone are the days when a content provider needed to raise huge capital in order to voice his or her message (Hodkinson, 2010). The last befit is the speed of marketing and exchanging information online. Social media has reduced the world into a village, content is exchanged between the provider and customer is almost real-time. Disadvantages of social media While social media shows significant benefits over traditional media, most businesses today will still insist on using traditional media to market or carry out a campaign. This is mostly because they would like to create brand image of their product or service but also due to some disadvantages that come with social media. The first one is unhealthy traffic making it a challenge to match the content to the right customer. There are so many author, so much content and different choices to choice from. The reactions and behaviors online are not the same while watching the same information on TV (Salanova, 2012). Therefore, having many networks on internet sites, apps, and blogs makes it a challenge for the consumer to choice a channel to use. Secondly, the accuracy of information on social media is not certain which raise the question of media integrity. Virtually anyone connected to internet is capable of creating content on social media which in most cases is not based on facts but personal opinion. There are also no program or standard procedures provided to scrutinize information available online. It is entirely upon the consumer to choice what information to consume. Lastly, the pace at which technology is changing, does not guarantee on the life period of social media. The ability of social media to remain relevant is limited to development of better media. For instance, before the invention of smart phones, myspace.com was the most popular app on personal computers. Today, mart phones error, facebook.com has taken over myspace.com with over one billion members. Does Social Media Complement Or Replace Traditional Media Different studies give different arguments on the effects of social media as a tool of communication on traditional media. Some argue that internet has displaced traditional media while others think they complement each other. Initially televisions and newspapers used to the domain media but not anymore. However, research shows that most of online new and content is sourced from the traditional media. Most research subject admitted that sourcing news online was the same as reading a newspaper but different from watching the same news from a television. Further research in determining the effect of social media used a survey that evaluated automobile buying and online buying (Salanova, 2012). Results indicated that, online buying had significantly reduced automobile buying and search for content. Free and weekly newspapers, similar to automobile also experienced a displacement effect. However, the research also suggested that adverts on social media complimented the same information on magazines, television, billboards, and direct mail. Additionally, more research identified similarity in searching behaviors when using either of the media. The number of hours that Internet buyers spends searching for information and the number of website visited when quantified amount to the same or very close to the total hour a buyer would spent searching for automobile information. The theory of functional alternative has also been used to examine the effect of social media on traditional media. The theory suggests that World Wide Web act as an alternative to television viewing. On the other hand, the theory dismisses this finding arguing that it WWW might not bring the same relaxing sensation as watching television and a way to pass time. The second theory employed was the gratifications theory that is used to compare online and offline news access. Gratifications theory describes social media as an information seeking media while traditional media is described as information scanning media. Further, classifies social media as an active communication channel and traditional media as a passive communication channel. This conclusion was arrived at using health styles data of 1999 (Salanova, 2012). Internet was acted as a primary source for individuals concerned with their health while traditional media served as primary source for individuals less concerned with their health. The role of social media in the Arab Green Revaluation Arab green revaluation is also referred to as the Arab uprising of 2011. The role of social in this uprising is evident in the way information was communicated among the citizens of Arab. There are numerous debates on whether democratization process in Arab was accelerated by social media (Hodkinson, 2010). Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube increase freedom of self-opinion similar to that in Europe during the Europe democratizing. On the other hand, political analyst urge that cyber-activism is only capable of communicating information faster and a good tool when quick organization is needed during a revolutionary process with no sociopolitical impacts whatsoever. However, the two arguments can be said to be based on vague allegations in reference to other revolutionary process that could not have happened without the support from social media. It is not clear to what extent social media influenced the revolutionary process in Arab but it does not, therefore, outweigh the probabilities of it being a major cause. According to Salanova (2012), the rapid changes in the field of information dissemination and media environment in Arabic world was mainly contributed by the emergence of satellite television and Internet- based networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. This new form of media enabled individuals to organize for a joint action, communicated not only to the locals but also to Arabic populace living abroad. In more than one way, social media challenged the traditional ways of disseminating information. Form the beginning of the revolutionary process social media had become the most trusted source of information among the Arabic citizens locally and abroad. Social media played a great role keeping the Arabs updated on the progress of the regime, its leaders and activates. For example, the Arabic community had firsthand information concerning any brutal practices the regime had engaged but had never before been covered by the print media due to suppression and state policies. Through the social media networks regime inhuman practices were exposed to the Arabic world and the entire world. This was possible because social media is not affected by government policies or state power (Straubhaar, LaRosen and Davenport, 2013). By creating awareness and with the help of the social media, activist could manage to mobilize a large number of people for mass action. Social media happened to be the most effective tool for mobilizing mass action since it was not limited to government’s media policies and regulations. Social media became an avenue for general population to become activists with no or very little running capital needed to achieve a similar campaign with print media. This was huge opportunity and development widow for the dormant, unusual and marginalized voices across the Arabic world to be heard and directly contribute to the better of the regime. According to Couldry (2010) personal generated content acted as an appeal to join activists and as drive to go protesting in the streets. With time, the small opposing force from a few protestors, escalated into massive force against the regime. The more information was available on social media the more the people joined the protection. Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that by understanding the role of social media in the Arabic green revolution commonly known as the Arabic uprising of 2011, gives more insight to the relationship between the traditional and social media. The state powers of the Arabic regime were brought down by the social media freedom. Social media give individuals the opportunity to be activists without the fear of state power. It acted like a means through which Arabic world used to finally break the rigid boundaries created by the regime. The information in this paper also presents social media as a relevant mainstream in running both social and political affairs. Bibliography Salanova Regina. 2012. Social Media and Political Change: The Case of the 2011 Revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. [Pdf]. Available at http://icip.gencat.cat/web/.content/continguts/publicacions/workingpapers/2012/arxius/wp_2012_7_rsalanova.pdf [Accessed 26 October 2015]. Couldry, N. 2010. Theorising Media as Practice. Social Semiotics, 14(2): 115-132. Straubhaar, J., LaRose, R and Davenport, L. 2013. Madia Now: Understanding Media, Culture and Technology. Boston, Massachusetts: Wadsworth Publishing. Hodkinson, P. 2010. Media, culture and society: An introduction. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications Ltd. Read More