Image: The New York Times
The Impact of ICT on the Media
Current and Future
Author: Stephen Denham Lecturer: Dr. Frank Bannister Prepared for: ST4500 Strategic Information Systems Submitted: 5th February 2012
The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
Abstract A dramatic consequence of the ICT advances in the last decade is the replacement of news media, as it was once known. In many ways, journalism today is unrecognisable from its former self and the concept of media has been inverted. This work discusses societal implications of these changes and considers what the future holds. It concludes that the standards of old media may be needed more now than ever.
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The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
Background The Concept of the Media Discussing how ICT has impacted the general media is problematic. In many ways the media, as creators and distributors of mass communication, is difficult to distinguish or even a subsidiary topic of ICT, which encompasses all communication technologies, micro and macro. With that said, this essay focuses on how the role of the press has been impacted by the rapid adoption of several ICTs. The term ‘media’, as discussed in this essay, specifically refers to the collective noun for the press and news organisations. Traditionally it communicated by television, radio and print. It is an established industry with developed ethical values. Reporters and agencies are judged on the thoroughness of their research and their trustworthiness. Breaking that trust has consequences, not only for individuals but for all associated with them as well. Beyond the mere reporting of events as they happen, there is the proactive research of investigative journalism, which has exposed scandals of companies, governments and criminals. These include the Nixon Watergate affair, resulting in the first US President to resign from office, and the uncovering of Irish gangs by reported Veronica Guerin, leading to her murder. The spread of information is fundamental to a healthy democracy (Fenton, 2010) and so, the media has been regarded by many as a public good, just as a fire department or central bank. It is seen as an independent neutral source of information, aimed at bringing the deserved truth to the people. Another perception of the media exists, which views it as a profit seeking group whose interests are skewed by the pursuit of revenue via (i) what people are entertained by reading and (ii) what advertisers may want them to censor, and so media has never been far from criticism. ICT’s Intrinsic Connection to the Media Information Communications Technology (ICT) refers to the range of technologies and which enable communication. It encapsulates all hardware and software infrastructure including the use of telephones, mobile, radio, television, video and the web. In the context of this topic, the most relevant technologies are social networks, PDAs with audio-visual recording and quality Internet access, online video platforms and information search/filtering technologies.
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The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
As vehicles for communication, ICT and the media are inextricably linked and overlapping in their fundamental functions. This overlap has meant ICT advances have impacted the media in several ways. To an extent, these advances have reshaped, replaced and redefined the media and the concept of ‘new media’ gives birth to a wealth of healthy discussion.
The Current Impact of ICT on the Media Undermining the Old Media Business Model The old media industry is based on the premise that information is of value to people. The growing easy of creating and sharing information with ICT has meant average people create more information and so its value is reduced – simple supply and demand. When Google launched in 1998, it declared its goal “to organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful” (free). This proposition challenged the business model of the traditional press. The uptake of ICT has meant the press has lost its position as the primary narrative on daily events as anyone can broadcast with basic ICT infrastructure. The last few years has seen the rapid decline of the print media, particularly the media. Institutions that once seemed like the foundations of culture have gone out of business or have hugely reduced staff, such as the Rocky Mountain News (Carlson, 2012). Traditional print media was largely supported by classifieds as its cash cow, generating 40% to 45% of revenue (Carr and Kennedy, 2010). Websites such as Craigslist, eBay and OKCupid have removed small classifieds from newspapers. Large ad campaigns have also moved online. These sites are often free, enable a wider reach or are simply faster to use. Advertisers once said ‘half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half’. This is no longer the case with targeted advertising provided by the likes of Google, Facebook and LinkedIn. Mass marketing has gone out of fashion as marketers aim to segment, target and position brands around specific target markets (Kotler et al., 2009). As these companies increase monopolisitc power, they can more easily relax their privacy policies. Finally, if the loss of revenue from classifieds, mainstream advertising and readers to the Internet was not enough, the global recession could not have come at a worse time for the industry.
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The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
In numerous ways, ICT has replaced the traditional media as a source and filtering information and news. Twitter delivers messages within seconds of their inception and via ‘trending’ topics and ‘hashtags’, these are instantly categorized and prioritised in a accessible manor. Many now see Twitter as a centralised newsfeed of all things relevant to them. Citizen Journalism On Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, the world held its breath. The 44th President of the United States of America was being inaugurated. Every major news agency and television network was present as well as the world’s top photographers. Malia Obama sat in the second row, and with a Kodak M893 digital camera she photographed her father’s speech taking her own photos. At an event documented by the world’s best media, Malia still wanted to create and share her own content. This preference is held by many and has manifested itself in what have become known as ‘citizen journalism’ – possibly the most profound impact of ICT on the media (Robinson and DeShano, 2011). ICT has allowed consumers of information to become part of the media itself. First of all, there is the ‘crowd-sourcing’ element where ICT has enabled people to publicise events themselves. For example the plane crashing in the Hudson River was first published by laypeople on Twitter and an technology consultant Sobhaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) unknowingly tweeted the raid of Osama Bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan as it happened. The sharing of war images has been the most poignant element of citizen journalism, where traditional media often obscured the reality of war due to censoring policy. PDAs with video cameras and Internet access are becoming more widespread and so actual events are vividly reported moments after happening. In some ways the amateur nature of footage gives it a more authentic feel which viewers are less desensitised to. It may be a welcomed addition, particularly as wars have become less salient in peoples’ minds due to their geographical distance and robot soldiers. The reality of warfare now is available to those who seek it and this holds military more accountable for their actions. Secondly, there is also the opinion and analysis added by citizens online. It is inherent in everything from blogs to simply reposting an article to friends. Unprofessionals are involved in the validation of news. Unsurprisingly, many traditional journalists have been on the offensive, attacking citizen journalists in a number of ways. They have often claimed it lacks the standards of journalistic ethics such as neutrality and fair unbiased reporting. 4
The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
Ironically, their very argument is clearly biased, as they cannot objectively analyse the change. They are acting in the interests of their profession. Traditional journalists claim these citizen journalists do not have the capital to invest in advanced news stories. Few people have the time or money to fly to Fallujah. Old media carried a level of brand reputation, increasing their likelihood of securing interviews and press passes. Inherent trust has also had its critics, coming to the fore after Judith Miller’s New York Times reports of Weapons of Mass Destruction were falsified. Such trust can be damaging, however it is the result of long held values of quality. It is also said that citizen journalism lacks any form of integrity as online bloggers can maintain anonymity. They lack a code and serious repercussions of their actions. Traditionalists also argue this has meant the lowering of journalistic standards. The 2011 film ‘Contagion’ based on a the a global flu pandemic, depicted a freelance blogger/journalist hedging stocks of pharmaceutical companies whilst manipulating their sales using his online influence to mislead people about the effectiveness of treatment drugs. In 2005 the White House issued a blogger with a press pass and today, many jurisdictions have issued the status of ‘qualified blogger’. Robinson and DeShano (2011) conducted research that was encouragingly optimistic for new media. They found, albeit in a small ecosystem, that an ‘interpretive community’ was forming, a which like real journalism, is a self-organising group, building values and integrity. The effects of ICT have not all been negative. Some media organisations have now begun to flourish as they, like other industries, are benefiting from better richness and reach with their customers. The largest brands of news organisations such as the Financial Times and the New York Times are now experiencing substantial benefits from online migration with subscription content (Carr and Kennedy, 2010). While some say journalism is dying, the availability of news has increased exponentially and this raises the question of whether this art is still needed. Information Filtering and the Polarisation of the News Although the Internet was hailed as the opening up of the world, it has begun to disappoint on this promise. Instead of being a unified global space, advances in filtering technology and the loosening of privacy have made it an increasingly segregated place. There are two types of online browsing. The first is where one knows what they are searching for. The second is the serendipitous browsing of 5
The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
information online. Nearly all large website now engage in some form of collaborative tailored filtering. Google searches are unique to users previous interests, Facebook feeds prioritise those who we tend to interact with most and Netflix suggests films to watch based on previous ratings. Google’s latest privacy policy unifies all data gain through account emails, map searches, Chrome settings, normal searches and ad clicks. Even news organisations engage in this tailoring in what has been called ‘social news’ (Gartrell et al., 2011). Tailoring Internet results means people are put in ‘filter bubbles’. They only see a narrow spectrum of news and opinions. For example, a liberal minded person will see more liberal search results. The full effect of this is unknown, however it has disastrous potential. The consequences are that people only view opinions that reaffirm their own and they do not see counter arguments. Furthermore, tailored filtering is conducted silently, which creates the illusion of an impartial voice. Given the need for mutual understanding in conflict resolution, these technologies could have far-reaching consequences into shaping culture and result in stronger conflict. It is argued that the algorithms of the Internet should be coded with ethic reasonability, allowing users to control filtering. To deliver a web of “balanced diet… some information vegetables and some information desert” (Pariser, 2011).
Future Concerns for New Media At the Peril of Monopolies ICT is largely based on the need for standards – a common language for systems to interact upon. As it is in many ways a chaotic industry due to the high rate of change, standards are often emplaced by the biggest players, and so, companies gain large economies of scale, leading to monopolies such as Google, Facebook and Apple, which all exert control on widely used application platforms. Old media were relatively late movers, and so as they attempt to embrace ICT advances, they suffer from having little bargaining control. For example, Apple used its operating system to ensure people pay for music through iTunes. Some say this saved the music industry and now through the creating of the iPad, together with Kindle products, the newspaper industry may be saved through controlled pricing models. However, apple does not have a history of generosity to affiliates. Many have criticised it for using its control to drain the profit margins of music and apps. Unless the media come up with a major game changing 6
The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
product themselves, which seems unlikely, their ability to embrace ICT advances will be hindered. The servitude that must be paid is yet another reason why old media is unlikely to reach its former greatness. Some media brands have done well with apps and in becoming relevant hubs, and their reputations have given their authority online as neural broadcasters, however the ability for this to sustain is unknown. It may be simply the fading remains of their former success. The BBC has expressed concerns that the younger generation are not as interested in its online presence for as a news source. The success of media brands online may only last the lifetime of those who knew them as the titan institutions they once were. Internet Regulation The entertainment industry has recently made progress with its fight back against the Internet through the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). It proposes to target the illegal provision of intellectual property through targeting search engines, advertisers and Internet service providers who assist such sites. It has yet to be seen if SOPA will take full effect but appears to have gained rapid headway internationally and the coming years are likely to see some degree of Internet regulation. SOPA may help the general media industry as it leads to less free information and coping of articles to other sites. However, if the legacy media is so vastly replaced, regulation of the Internet is a concerning development, restricting free speech. For example, the Egyptian government blocked Twitter because it was used to organise protestors. The Bahraini government took this a step further as it not only blocked undesired content, but also used the Internet as a propaganda tool.
New Media Industry Models Storyful is an online news agency purely drawing sources from those ‘at the heart of the action’ and it aims to ‘separate the news from the noise’. It enables citizen journalism and prioritises the large amount of information generated. The problem, as with many online products, is adoption. A critical mass of adoption is required and so it is unlikely that people will prefer it above the likes of Twitter, despite its large amount of cat photos. 7
The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
Undoubtedly the most controversial of the new forms of organisations is that of Wikileaks. Through it, thousands of secret documents have been realised into the public domain. Founder Julian Assange sees it as a journalistic organisation, however he sees journalism as merely a tool for seeking justice, which is his fundamental goal (Rossi, 2011). In the past such documents were sent to the media, however the subterranean nature of Wikileaks allows it to avoid legal repercussions. It raises the question of the legitimacy of secrecy, however the efforts made by companies and governments to stop Wikileaks has proven they fear it. Another new model that has emerged from media turmoil is that of ProPublica – a philanthropically funded agent of investigative journalism. It partners with different new organisations in print, television, radio and online, to deliver its stories which it researches. If journalism is truly a public good, then such a model should be sustainable, however one fear is that this may simply be a fashion trend (Carr and Kennedy, 2010), leaving the size of media to fluctuate, just it previously did with advertising revenue. It is also possible that the position of media could hold a relationship of independence to government like that of a central bank. If the Internet becomes a regulated body, there is certainly an argument for this to be done independently, which would is similar to the role of old media. The most straightforward of the new models of media is that of having free content to a point, followed by subscription – freemium. This has been reasonably successful, however users would only feel the need to subscribe if they are particularly loyal to a certain brand, otherwise they can easily switch between sites. What remains to be seen, is if such models sustain after the old media is long gone. Finally, it is worth noting that the media is not the only information based industry being re-evaluated due to the information commoditization of the Internet. An interesting study would be to draw parallels from this topic with academia in how they have reacted to the free sharing of information.
Conclusion ICT advances have blurred the lines of media. Consumers are also creators; the news is not only the messages but the messages themselves have become news; reporters are becoming bloggers and bloggers are becoming reporters; the Internet was making the world more open but by attempting to filter the vast amount of 8
The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
Denham S.
information appears to make the world more polarised; it has allowed the leaking of vast amounts of information from those with power but now those same powers may be in a stronger position than ever to censor open discourse. Filter bubbles, the fall of old media and the threat of Internet regulation are concerning development for healthy democracy. The new media has been a great advantage, but what is required above all is the retention of old values.
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The Impact of ICT on the Media – Current and Future
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References CARLSON, M. 2012. 'Where Once Stood Titans': Second-order Paradigm Repair and the Vanishing US Newspaper. Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism, 13, 267-283. CARR, D. & KENNEDY, D. 2010. Online Migration of Newspapers. In: THORBURN, D. (ed.) Guest Lectures in MIT. Center for International Studies, MIT. FENTON, N. 2010. New Media, Old News: Journalism & Democracy in the Digital Age, London, SAGE Publications. GARTRELL, M., HAN, R., LV, Q. & MISHRA, S. 2011. SocialNews: Enhancing Online News Recommendations By Leveraging Social Network Information. Department of Computer Science University of Colorado at Boulder. KOTLER, P., KELLER, K. L., BRADY, M., GOODMAN, M. & HANSEN, T. 2009. Marketing Management, Edinburgh, Pearson Prentice Hall. PARISER, E. 2011. Beware Online "Filter Bubbles". TED Conferences. Long Beach, CA: TED. ROBINSON, S. & DESHANO, C. 2011. ‘Anyone Can Know’: Citizen Journalism and the Interpretive Community of the Mainstream Press. Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism, 12, 963-982. Page One: Inside the New York Times, 2011. Documentary Film. Directed by ROSSI, A. New York, New York, USA: Magnolia Pictures