traditional media dead or not

Traditional media dead or alive?

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Modern society is witnessing some types of traditional media (TM) are dying. In 2009, top-tier companies like the Los Angeles had to sell out because of bankruptcy, as revenues in publications descended by 28.6 percent (Mastaglio, Brown & Freeman, 2010, p.18). Imagine life without TM? Students would not use books in class anymore, people could only listen to music online, and people would no longer go to the cinema to enjoy a movie. It is a significant loss of culture. The decreasing use of TM shows that TM are endangered. However, TM are trying to keep profitable and relevant by improving their quality and combining forces with new technology in the future. This essay will focus on three main TM types which involves print, CDs and cinema media in the first section. In what follows, marketing and improvement strategies which could assist them to stay profitable and relevant will be discussed.
Before investigating the status of print, CDs and cinema media, it is important to indicate what these media types refer to in this essay. Print media, in the form of books, newspapers and magazines has three main functions, which include transmission of culture, education and entertainment (Pavlik, 2011, p.103). The four major markets for print media are “adult and juvenile trade books, textbooks, book clubs and university press books" (Biagi, 2013 p.36). The second TM includes CD media, “CDs are used to read data and music encoded in digital form and can be used to record more than once” (Biagi, 2013,p.96). CDs serve a variety of functions which include musical entertainment and education (Pavlik, 2011, p.137). And people who are 30 years old or over 30 are the main consumers (Biagi, 2013, p.104). The final media is cinema media. Cinema is motion pictures which are recorded by a variety of devices and are considered as a medium of high art. Cinemas do not only provide audiences with simple visual entertainment but they also record painting, sculpture, architecture and history (Pavlik, 2011, p167). Three main TM all serve diverse functions, however, the development of technology brings them challenges.
Research suggests that certain media markets are showing declining trends while others are still growing. The account of daily newspapers in the U.S. also shows a descending trend, for example, from 1940 to 2007, more than 21 percent of 1422 daily newspapers have disappeared (Pavilk, 2011, p.119). However, local newspapers are still relevant. According to media & marketing’s research (2012), 81 percent of local residents acquire local news and community information from their local newspapers. This suggests that local traditional newspapers are still prevalent while national news is suffering. Adding to this, two main factors seem to have led to the decline of printed books. Firstly, E-Books are more accessible to the public because they are portable (Biagi, 2011, p.38). Secondly, televisions bring new challenges to newspapers and magazines (Biagi, 2011, p.57).
Research also indicates that CDs are dying. In 2010, global CD sales decreased by 8 percent, with the amount of money approximately $1.5 billion (Dewan & Ramaprasad, 2014). This is due to overseas piracy and file sharing on the Internet. The recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says 18 percent of music sales are controlled by pirates and this has caused a staggering billion dollar loss (Biagi, 2011, p.102). Print and CD media are decreasing; however, cinema shows a contrary trend. Globally, the box office reached $35.9 billion in 2013, which was 4 percent higher than that in 2012. In the same year, the consumption of movie tickets of 2-11 years old reached its peak and the consumption of 50-59 years old remained high constantly (Motion picture association of America, 2013). This statistic means that although teenagers choose to watch free movies online, cinemas are still relevant. Judging from the research thus for that print media like national newspapers and CDs are declining while local news and cinemas are still relevant.
Fortunately, TM are using proper strategies to remain profitable and relevant. Firstly, print publishers have taken marketing strategies. Publishers have located new readers, met their needs, and been responsive to consumer interests . For example, magazines like The Saturday Evening Post concentrated on subjects like women’s issues, “social crusades, literature and the arts, and politics”, those subjects have expanded the audience of the magazine (Biagi, 2011, p.72). Books and newspapers also have produced cheaper products to keep relevant (Biagi, 2011, p.32).
Print media may take these potential strategies to stay profitable and relevant in the future. Firstly, publishers may focus cost. For example, publishers can outsource functions like editing, use more syndicated material and make division relationship more rational to focus and save cost. Enterprises can also raise revenue by erecting pay walls, developing their products and building their own brand and use them as an asset (Biddle, 2014;JR Technology, 2005). Branding is the groundwork of advertisement industry (Young, 2010, p.7).
CDs media are also solving their problems by taking certain steps. Firstly, government and associations can legislate rules and laws to protect copyright and reduce illegal download. For instance, in June 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to shut down some soft wares which provided free music for customers to download (Biagi, 2011, p.103). Hence, music enterprises can be protected copyright by laws which deceases economic loss from file sharing.
CDs media may have the potential to face challenges in the future. Firstly, CDs companies can raise the demand of CDs by developing more devices with CD-ROM (Yuting, 2013). Secondly, CD companies can develop their products. For example, gaming CD enterprises can design emulation gaming CDs (Guttenbrunner, Becker & Rauber, 2010).
Two strategies are also being implemented by cinema media to keep relevant. Firstly, Paramount’s Adolph Zukor who invited this institution led to the connection between “production, distribution, and exhibition” to save costs and improve the quality of cinemas to attract more audiences (Biagi, 2011, p.142).Secondly, new kinds of movie like wide-screen colour and 3-D attract cinema goers. All these high-tech movies can let audiences feel personally on the scene (Biagi, 2011, p.146-p.147).
Three plausible solutions may overcome cinema drawbacks in the future. Firstly, theatres can improve the quality. Specifically, cinemas can improve their atmosphere, for instance, using digital projection and surrounding systems to make customers experience even more enjoyable (Tugwell, Tweedley & Balley, 2008). Cinemas can also make themselves multi-functional (JR Technology, 2005). Secondly, cinemas can launch a digital technology revolution (Hoffmann, n.d.). For instance, theatres may invent new kinds of movies like 5-D movies (Doma & Mawarire, 2014). Fortunately, TM can be rectified by taking certain strategies building their own brand and making their product multifunctional.
TM have the potential to remain relevant because it drives blogs. To explain further, blogs are being reshaped from TM content. However the content may not be accurate information, therefore, traditional journalist and news gatherers can provide the original reports with better quality content. For example, 90% in content of blogs rely on local or national news reports. Another reason is that TM are more important than ever to raise public awareness. To be specific, there is a massive amount of information to choose from, so people may choose their preferred information sources. Consequently, people are less literate about public affairs as they are less likely to choose to read about them. Therefore, TM are more necessary to keep relevant to improve basic public knowledge (Nisbet, 2012).
TM are declining; however, they are still profitable and relevant by innovating constantly and adapting to modern technology.TM are evolving their products by responding to consumers’ needs and preferences. Moreover, they are cutting costs, using more innovative marketing strategies to sell products.TM will not die in the future because the public need them to get the original and accurate information, otherwise detailed knowledge will not be valuable.

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