Competitive Medias

You are probably aware the media is evolving. TV anchors, cable news, talk radio and now blogs are fighting for your attention. Print is looking for your readership, TV your viewership and radio your listenership.

The newest to be added to the media is the clout growing from blogs. I read the first blogs arrived maybe 5 years ago, however they were not taken seriously by other forms of media until last year. Until recently it appeared many journalists at the New York Times and many other anchor newsprint were attacking the crediblity of blogs. They attempted to diminish contribution bloggers in their "pajamas" would bring.

The best article I have found thus far regarding the blogging media was posted by PressThink, “Bloggers vs Journalists is Over,” Janurary 15, 2005.
Read; http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2005/01/15/berk_pprd.html

The major media outlets have realized change has arrived. NBC, New York Times, and some radio hosts are either voluntarily adapting or feel compelled to change to retain their audience. Some are running articles and discussing seemingly disdainful comments for the weblogs. Others are adapting to the change, incorporating the blogosphere and adding their own personality to the evolution of “contributory news”.

MSNBC is contributing to the evolution of media through shows such as “Connect” hosted by Ron Reagan and Monica Crowly. In this show they are ‘jacked’ right into the public through the web and blogosphere. The shows formula is captivating and the content is provoking. As topics are discussed with callers and experts, the hosts will search the online to see the "chatter" of the blogs. This "chatter", quoting the Hugh Hewitt radio show out of Los Angeles, is the dialogue quickly growing to a roar blogs as news breaks. If you want a futurists look at the future of TV news/shows, I think Connect is a pioneer. MoreThenCorn is a consumer who would enjoy seeing their show daily, however like many I too can not regularly schedule TV time. Competitive media will find a way to get the information I want, to me.

MoreThenCorn sees a future media changing as the public dictates their desires to access information. Probably no different then in the past as media has changed with introduction of radio, then TV, the web.I remember growing up I would sit with my foks and watch the CBS evening news with Dan Rather. This routine grew my interest in current events and politics and for the medias benefit it would help foster the next generation of viewers relying on anchor-disseminated news. Generations would have continued in this routine if our options had not multiplied through today. Where once I watched local and national news and occasionally read a paper, now it is newspapers online, MSNBC/FoxNews, talk radio and blogs.

Many of the old guard in media will still be popular sources of information in the near future. Some outlets will be used less in the future but not proportionate to the increase in other mediums. As media changes over the next 5+ years, MoreThenCorn predicts a substantial increase in demand for information. This will be spurred through accessibility by the public in turn interest in news will grow because of more active participation and our “contributory media.”

Looking further down the pipe, 20 years from today the face of media may not be much different then it is today. By then blogs will be as commen as web pages and maybe their popularity will peak or even decline. The eb and flow of demand by the public in 20 years is just as difficult to predict as fashion in the same year.

It is important to re-emphasize a point from this post; The growing use and popularity of the blogosphere is just an addition to the gathering and distribution of information. Blogging ispreceded by a ‘+’ in the media formula. Network News + Local News + Print + Online Print + Talk Radio + Editorial Columnists + Blogs = well informed public.

Media will only be improved for the consumer and held to more account by the weblogs. If individual professional journalists align themsleves with the blog audience and truly take advantage of this niche, the journalists can use this as a spring board for their careers.

The TV Anchor was popularized by Kronkite. But it was relatively new then. Change occurred when radio news developed into a behind a desk anchor broadcasting through your TV in the living room. The arguments at the Town Hall meeting or whether the Cubs are going to have a winning season will be spread through old channels and new. In the end, there will be creators of information, gatherers of information and consumers of it. These fundamentals will never change.

Now go to the library or Amazon and order a copy of “Who moved my cheese.” You will feel better.