Traditional Media Is Still Hanging Around

Traditional media is not dead yet. It is actually doing pretty well.

Many may believe that social media has begun to take the audience away from traditional media. However, it is quite the opposite. Social media actually seems to be benefiting traditional media instead of taking popularity from it. It has helped to contribute to the number of viewers of special television events, such as the Superbowl. “As an article in Time magazine shows, social media contributed to the largest TV audience ever for the last Superbowl and TV viewing in general is at or near all time highs in both the US and the U.K.” (2).

Blogs and other more modern media actually share the same stories as traditional media. Politics and international events are top news stories in both traditional media and the blogosphere (1). However, there is often a more personal spin put into blogs. Bloggers want to make an impact on their community of readers and often include their opinion on an event or issue within their blog. This can make it less reliable to receive non-biased coverage. Many people must weed through the blogger’s views and analysis in order to find the main details of a story.

Traditional media, such as television news stations and newspapers, continue to provide the user with factual, less biased coverage on important events. News stations get to the point and provide the viewer with the essential points of a story. We do not watch the nightly news so that we can listen to random news anchor Bill Smith’s opinion on the current Iranian-Israeli conflict.

Convenience also plays into the reason why traditional media is hanging around. Many people would rather be informed by television news stations instead of blog sites. Why? Because watching television takes less effort. The user can be informed of the major events and issues of the day or week while they lay on the couch. However, if you want to be informed through blogs, you have to read through various pages in order be informed.

1) " The Blogosphere | Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ)." Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) | Understanding News in the Information Age. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/blogosphere>.

2)   Greg. "5 Reasons Why Traditional Media is Making a Comeback | Digital Tonto." Digital Tonto. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://www.digitaltonto.com/2010/5-reasons-why-traditional-media-is-making-a-comeback/>.