The media landscape has undergone a significant transformation over the years, with conventional media giving way to digital/social media. In this paper and later in other Parts, we’ll delve into the history, advantages, benefits, and effectiveness of both conventional and digital/social media and the abuse which can infect the both.
What is Conventional Media?
Conventional media refers to traditional forms of communication, such as print media (newspapers, magazines), broadcast media (television, radio), and outdoor media (billboards, posters). These platforms have been the primary means of information dissemination and entertainment for centuries.
What is Digital/Social Media?
Digital/social media, on the other hand, encompasses online platforms that facilitate communication, interaction, and content sharing. This includes social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), online news websites, blogs, podcasts, and video-sharing sites (YouTube, TikTok).
History and Advantages
Conventional media has a rich history, dating back to the early days of printing. Its advantages include:
-Wider reach and coverage
-Established credibility and trust
-Ability to convey complex information through multiple formats
However, conventional media has limitations, such as:
–High production and distribution costs
–Limited interactivity and engagement
-Difficulty in measuring audience engagement and feedback
Digital/social media, which emerged in the late 20th century, offers several advantages, including:
– Lower production and distribution costs
– Higher interactivity and engagement
– Ability to measure audience engagement and feedback through analytics
However, digital/social media also has its limitations, such as:
– Information overload and decreased attention span
-Concerns over credibility, trust, and misinformation including the exposure to Abuse.
– Dependence on technology and internet connectivity
-Lack of Expertise to derive the required Benefits to Governments/Channels
All Said Both conventional and digital/social media do provide benefits to both governments and the conventional channels, including:
-Ability to disseminate information and reach a wider audience
-Platform for promoting desired objectives and policies
-Opportunity to engage with citizens and gather feedback
However, digital/social media offers additional benefits, such as:
– Real-time engagement and feedback
-Ability to target specific audiences and demographics
-Cost-effective and efficient means of communication
Role in Promoting Desired Objectives:-
-Both conventional and digital/social media play a significant role in promoting desired objectives, including:
-Raising awareness about social and political issues
-Influencing public opinion and perception
-Promoting cultural and educational content
However, digital/social media offers additional opportunities, such as:
-Leveraging influencers and user-generated content
-Utilizing targeted advertising and sponsored content
-Creating engaging and interactive content through multimedia formats
Authenticity and Effectiveness
Authenticity is crucial in both conventional and digital/social media programming. Viewers and readers can very easily discern from biased or misleading information thus there is a need for Effective programming in both mediums requires:
-High-quality content that resonates with the audience
-Engaging and interactive formats that encourage participation
-Transparency and accountability in reporting and presentation
Future of Conventional and Digital/Social Media
The media landscape is constantly evolving, with digital/social media becoming increasingly dominant. In the next five years, we can expect:
-Continued growth of digital/social media platforms and user base
-Increased convergence of conventional and digital/social media
-Rising importance of authenticity, transparency, and accountability in media programming in so as to continue engaging the viewers/readers.
On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most popular,we can rate conventional media a six and digital/social media a nine in terms of current popularity. In the next five years, we can predict digital/social media will continue to dominate, with a rating of nine, while conventional media will decline to a rating of four or may be three.
In very near future Advertisers are likely to favor digital/social media platforms due to their:
– Targeted advertising capabilities
-Measurable engagement and analytics
-Cost-effective and efficient means of communication
We can claim with confidence that while conventional media may still holds some entertainment value (Which in fact has now been devalued significantly by Digital Entertainment Providers). Therefore, Digital/Social media has and shall in future become the preferred and dominant platform for information dissemination, entertainment, and engagement with all segments of society including the younger population. As we move forward, it has now become imperative for the concerned Governments Agencies, All Conventional TV Channels, and the Advertisers to adapt to this changing media landscape and leverage the benefits of digital/social media. Those who fail to take the required initiative shall fade out very quickly and become history.
I’d love to hear your comments on this topic! Please share your comments and opinions on the future of conventional and digital/social media on this platform. However hold your fire till you read my next PART in which I shall dwell as to how digital media has been abused in Pakistan and what we can do to neutralize its effects to save our future generations from getting infected by this fast spreading menace.
