The Influence of New Technology on the Print Media Industry

Part C: The influence of new technology on the print media industry

Answer the following questions using complete sentences in at least 150 to 200 words. Be clear and concise and explain your answers. Cite any outside sources consistent with APA guidelines.

1. How has the development of the Internet, wireless communication, computers, and handheld digital devices affected print media companies’ products and sales?

As I was researching to answer this questions, the first thing that came to mind was capitalism, there is a need to make a profit in most mass media efforts; therefore one could say that printed media companies had learned how to function in an ever changing world of technology. According to ”The Atlantic” (2012), printed newspapers are still making close, if not more, than 20 billion dollars a year off advertising, and readership is the same today as it was ten years ago if we count digital subscriptions . Printed media companies are also evolving to a more digitalized format, not only with better articles and credibility, but with their own web pages to make sure they also reach a younger audience that finds easier and convenient to read off a screen. Corporations are still investing in printed media, but now the competition for advertising money is diverse, mainly because the younger generation finds web searching convenient as opposed to research the way mass media was in the past, thru mass mail and in phone books.

2. What changes have print media companies made to incorporate new technology into their traditional products? Have these changes been successful or unsuccessful? Why or why not?

If we are to talk about media tradition, we need to start with brand recognition, which by itself tends to sell some daily newspapers because that is what families and companies do in daily basis. In order to compete with electronic media, some publications are charging their web with the same design and content that they have in traditional publications. Other aspect of online media is that they aren’t charging any money for their online material and that creates a problem when we talk about creating a profit from subscriptions. According to Strategy + Business (n.d), print media needs to make some adjustments in the content and in-depth analysis, taking certain pieces of information to produce a more detailed oriented information that could attract an/or be appealing to a specific audience. With the changes that we are seeing in the way users consume media and advertising, one could say that some printed publications are doing a better job of being detailed oriented in their traditional product and more current and fresh in their online material. Is working because they are always evolving and adapting to what the customer wants or his activities allows them, whether is to read from the paper that they buy in a stand or the web page that they open with their online device.

3. How have consumers reacted to these changes?

The process of mass communication has always been linked to technology (Vivian, 2011), therefore one could say that consumers these days with the amount of information that are within reach are becoming more aware of their surroundings and are always looking for the most convenient way to get the information they need for their daily activities. Printed and electronic publications need to be aware of what their audience wants and make a decision of what audience to seek with a particular product. Usually the younger generation will read in the screen and an older group will buy the printed material, but that doesn’t mean that it will be a definite tendency. Consumers have an idea of what they like and they will continue to go to a certain publication mainly because of credibility, and others because of the combination of credibility and convenience. Promptness is another characteristic that consumers are adapting to, not only news need to be credible, but also current to keep up with the array of information that is in display in the printed and online publications.
References:

The Atlantic. (2013). Retrieved from http://theatlantic.com

Strategy-Business. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.strategy-business.com

Vivian, J. (2011). The Media of Mass Communication (10th ed.). : Allyn & Bacon

References: The Atlantic. (2013). Retrieved from http://theatlantic.com Strategy-Business. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.strategy-business.com Vivian, J. (2011). The Media of Mass Communication (10th ed.). : Allyn & Bacon