What is the difference between traditional media and modern media?

Introduction

These days, new media is on the rise and many people would say that it is gradually eclipsing old media. But what is new media and old media? According to the Oxford Dictionary, new media is defined as a form of mass communication using digital technologies like the internet while old media is defined as means of mass communication that are not interactive or do not involve the internet ("old media").

New media has become very accessible, as the 21st century rolls in. In “Anatomy of Media”, Gordon states that the rise of the internet in this era, which slowly created the global village that Marshall McLuhan envisioned(13), has influenced people and driven them to lean towards new media, rather than the conventional traditional media. The global village, which brings forth the idea that the world is connected as a single community via telecommunications. Wilson, too, brings forth the subject of the internet and

The main difference between social media and traditional media is that social media offers two-way communication, whereas traditional media offers one-way communication.

Media broadly refers to forms of mass communication. Traditional media is any form of mass communication that were available before the advent of digital media. This includes newspapers, radio, magazines, and television. Social media, on the other hand, refer to applications and websites that allow users to create and share content and participate in social networking.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Social Media 
     – Definition, Features, Marketing
2. What is Traditional Media
     – Definition, Features, Marketing
3. What is the Difference Between Social Media and Traditional Media
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Social Media, Traditional Media

Social media refer to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Social media has many special features compared to digital media. These include communication, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Many people use social media to keep in contact with friends and family, and some use it to communicate and interact with different communities. When we usually hear the word social media, we only think of social platforms like Facebook and Twitter. However, social media includes various categories like media sharing networks (Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube etc.) discussion forums (Quora, Reddit), bookmarking and content curation networks like Flipboard and Pinterest, as well as blogging and publishing networks like Tumblr and WordPress.  These platforms give us the opportunity to share our thoughts, opinions, photos, and videos in real-time.

Businesses also use social media as a way to market and promote their products. We call this social media marketing. Social media marketing helps businesses to build awareness of their brand, increase sales and help with website traffic. When using social media for marketing products, marketers have the ability to know the thoughts and opinions of the audience and receive their feedback instantly. Moreover, there are many tools to measure the effectiveness of social media marketing campaigns.

Traditional media refers to any form of mass communication available before the introduction of digital media. Therefore, traditional media include television, radio, newspapers, magazines and books. Traditional media offers only a one-way communication; the audience receive messages through the media, but the media do not get direct feedback.

When you use traditional media for advertising or promoting your products and services, sales methods include television advertisements, radio advertisements, banner advertisements, print advertisements, direct mail advertisements, door to door sales, billboards, etc. Various companies have used these methods for many years, with very effective results. Even today, marketing methods like television advertisements and print advertisements can result in successful sales. With the advent of digital media, the use of traditional media for marketing began to see a slight decline. However, companies still spend billions of dollars on promoting their products through traditional media.

Definition

Social media refer to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. In contrast, traditional media refers to any form of mass communication available before the introduction of digital media.

Examples

Some examples of popular social media platforms include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Wikipedia and Pinterest, while examples of traditional media include television, radio, newspapers and magazines.

Nature of Communication

While social media offers two-way communication, traditional media offers one-way communication. This is because the audience has an opportunity to voice their opinions on social media.

Internet

Although social media has many special features and advantages, it is dependent on the internet. If there is a break down in the internet connection, you cannot access any social media platform. However, traditional media is not dependent on the internet.

Changes

Once a message is published or broadcasted in traditional media, it’s too late to make changes. However, messages in social media can be changed whenever you want.

Control

In social media, you have more control over the message you want to share; for example, you can use audience targeting, or you can delay the date of publication. In contrast, traditional media does not allow much control.

Conclusion

Traditional media is any form of mass communication that were available before the advent of digital media. Social media, on the other hand, refer to applications and websites that allow users to create and share content and participate in social networking. The main difference between social media and traditional media is that social media offers two-way communication, whereas traditional media offers one-way communication.

Reference:

1. “Defining Traditional Media Today.” Techfunnel, 19 Feb. 2018, Available here.
2. “10 Types of Social Media and How Each Can Benefit Your Business.” Hootsuite Social Media Management, 1 Nov. 2019, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “292994” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “television remote control, Television, Remote Control, television programme, tv, news, rc, multimedia, media, finance” (CC0) via Pxfuel

The mediascape has been witnessing massive changes in the last 20 years or so. From being dependent on ‘Traditional or Old Media’, we’ve shifted to the use of ‘New Media’. Whereas the traditional forms like print, films, TV, and radio constitute Old Media, New Media primarily includes computer technology, the Internet and smart phones.

Here are the key differences between the two

From Consumer to “Prosumer”

The older forms of media forced the audiences to be passive consumers of the content provided to them, in the sense that there was only so much that they could do.

The new forms of media allow the audiences to not only consume content, but also produce content. Therefore we’re becoming Prosumers: producers+consumers. Earlier the audiences could only read or watch news. Today they can produce news through blogs, social media or Citizen Journalism portals.

The Use of Multimedia

Print media for example, only uses text and still images. Electronic media uses a number of codes, still and moving images etc., but New Media (online medium) trumps both of these with its use of multimedia. Text, images, hyperlinks, videos..a single page online can make use all of it.

Multiplicity of Delivery Platforms

Unlike old media, new media can be delivered on flexible formats – smartphones, tablets, laptops, PC etc.

Interactivity

New media allows for greater interactivity among both producers & consumers- audiences can give instant feedback to reporters, news channels through their Facebook page, twitter etc; and consumers & consumers- through comment feeds, social media interactions.

Scope and Reach

Newspaper circulation is bound to a certain physical space, and TV content, unless uploaded on the internet, remains within the viewership of their country’s audience. Therefore, older forms of media are limited in their scope and reach.

New media on the other hand, is far wider in it’s reach and scope. Once, anything goes on the net, it becomes accessible for almost anyone with a computer and net connection. However, questions of “digital divide” make this argument skeptical. A vast majority of the population still doesn’t have access to smart phones or the internet.

This increasing interactivity and greater scope of reach has eventually lead to the formation of a “Global Village” – an interconnected community that is not bound by space or borders. This is just taking forward the concept of “Imagined Communities”- a term that was coined by sociologist Benedict Anderson, who felt that people reading the same news in different parts of the country, far away from each other, felt connected, and part of the same community.

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