TV Networks and Google

When the big three TV networks were in their heyday, they cared little for the outcry that radio was being destroyed by their presence.  After all, TV took all of radio's stars and its most popular programs.  Radio was forced to reinvent itself to survive.

Today those same big three TV networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) are crying foul.  This time they are the ones worrying about a future, and the new media giant is Google.  Google TV promises to provide a seemless and "watch TV shows at anytime" service to consumers.  The networks fear this direct access technology because it could siphon away viewers, undercut advertising and encourage people to discontinue cable TV usage.  These three factors could spell the death knell for network TV as we know it.

If video killed the radio star,then who killed the video star?
Stay tuned!

Media and Culture

Two distinct words form the basis for the most powerful influence on the lives of many people.  We live in a unique culture---free to develop opinions, open to new artforms and expressions---and, yet the pervasive reach of both mass and individual media encapsulate our culture and oftern redefine it.  Mass culture, especially the American kind, has thrived because mass media both promotes and restores it.  Media and culture.  They are difficult to separate in any 21st century conversation.

Look at language and try to associate any new phrase that you learned that did not spring from your observance of a media type.  Words echo from new generations or cultures and are mass communicated via movies, music or You Tube videos.  Try this experiment.  Create a new word or phrase and post on a blog, like this one, or via a Twitter or You Tube transmission.  The odds are that someone will see or hear this phrase and adopt it.  The phrase then becomes part of the new cool of the culture, for even our original slang use of the word cool was elevated by the media of music and radio.

The Future of Newspapers

As a Journalism and Mass Communication educator, I am often asked about the changing media technology landscape and its impact upon newspapers.  My answer is both direct and reserved.  Media are evolving into forms that appear to change everyday with myriad applications that even software designers did not foresee.  The user, more importantly, is the key to any debate about a medium and future importance.  Newspapers are no different than any other form---television, radio or movies.  The user, viewer, listener or reader has the final say in success.

The need for comprehensive coverage of local, regional, national or international events has been the driving force behind the historical success of newspapers.  The alternative or companion to other news media outlets has given the newspaper business both status and influence.  Will the next generation of media consumers require what a newspaper can provide?  The answer is yes.  That yes, however, must be framed within a future that includes innovative adaptability by all types of newspapers.  Innovation must meet the current, and long-term, demands of a shifting consumer.  Success will be seen by creativity and collaboration.