Are We Breaking Up With Traditional Media?
It’s not you… It’s your platform. Hope we can still be friends.
I once knew a talented news anchor (hi, Jefferson!) who talked about how his producers ran a story about doughnuts at the top of the hour. Doughnuts! For real! Can you believe it?! The kids these days! Come on! Okay, the conversation didn’t unfold quite like that, but a discussion in the room began around the state of media, advertising, and audiences. Pockets of debate erupted as the group of 25-or-so articulate and academically inclined (and did I mention good looking?) graduate students voiced their thoughts. I can’t help but think back and wonder if the conversation might be different had we heeded the insights of Clay Shirky, Cognitive Surplus, and Jay Rosen’s The People Formerly Known as the Audience.
A Recap
In his 2010 TED Talk, Shirky discussed cognitive surplus and how the increase of digital technology can make the world a better place by tapping into the free time and talents of internet users worldwide. From cat memes to Ushahidi and Wikipedia, collectively we, as internet users, can work collaboratively to disseminate information more quickly, robustly, and effectively. As with anything, of course, there are a few cons to all of those pros, but overall, the concept leverages the inherent participatory and social nature of the internet according to Shirky.
Considering this concept, when we look to Jay Rosen’s 2011 article, The People Formerly Known as the Audience, what if traditional media isn’t dying… It just needed a quick reality check to realize that relationships are a two-way street?
A List of Demands From the New Generation
*Insert eye-roll emoji*, am I right?
If this sounds like an ultimatum, it might be. With the coming of age of an entirely new generation and new technologies, there has been a significant shift in the media landscape. Alas, we can choose to groan and shake our fists at what some say is a lazy and entitled generation, or we can choose to listen, understand, and move forward.
According to Scott Hess, who TED considers “one of the foremost authorities on American Youth,” this group of prosumers is more educated than any other generation; they are conscious consumers; they are inclusive and engaged; and—most importantly—they want to participate. As a result, some of the most successful brands have already begun to respond to the needs of millennials… And it’s fruitful. This generation is set to surpass every other generation by millions in terms of population, and with it, they’re bringing their pocketbooks.
I know what you’re thinking: But what’s the point? Millennials don’t keep up with the news! Wrong, my friend. In fact, according to the American Press Institute, 85% of this generation does, in fact, keep up with current affairs; 69% of them get the news at least once per day; and 45% of them consistently follow five or more hard news topics (see, it’s not just doughnuts, J).
So, what do you do? Well, to be frank, nobody really knows. Perhaps this the inevitable end of traditional media as we’ve known it. Maybe we are all about to succumb to the influence of bloggers and Instagram models, and our only source of news in the future will be from amateur writers who don’t know the difference between “you’re” and “your” and live in their parents’ basements. Maybe… Or maybe we can respond to what Rosen dubbed ‘The People Formerly Known As The Audience’ and their behavioural shifts and perhaps we can incorporate user-generated content in the way Shirky’s theory on Cognitive Surplus suggests. Much like the decline of Blockbuster, this isn’t necessarily doomsday for traditional media. There are endless articles on how technology and a lack of vision blockbusted (get it?) the home video industry—with others insisting that if the brand had embraced technology and change, its fate wouldn’t have been so grim.
So, perhaps we can make attempts to adapt to the changes in the media landscape. Maybe it’s effective and saves an entire industry, and maybe it doesn’t. Either way, a really smart guy once said “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”