Taking a look at how online content has transformed contemporary media

This post checks out how the media landscape has changed over the past couple of years.

In the online media landscape, what we see on the internet is mostly elected by algorithms which are formed by our online habits. Each social media channel uses its own programmed system to reveal new content and recommend material that will appeal to the user. The types of media content examples that will be revealed to a user is created to keep users engaged. The algorithms are created to keep individuals stimulated by recommending and promoting videos that are relevant, trendy or controversial among other users. While this level of personalisation can be practical, it can confine the areas of media that individuals are subjected to, producing more segmentation and bias among users around social problems. Those who are involved in media development, like the founder of the fund that has stakes in Sky, for instance, would acknowledge the effect of social media platforms in sharing new narratives. Similarly, the chairman of the company that owns NBCUniversal would acknowledge the effects of user generated content in the media landscape.

The increase of internet content has completely changed what is meant by the term mass media. In the past, mass media followed a hierarchical arrangement, using a top-down media model. Generally, a small group of professionals, such as newspaper writers or broadcasters, who would develop material for big audiences who mostly just consumed it. Nevertheless, nowadays, with the aid of the web, the face of media has seen substantial modification, making the consumption and availability of media far more accessible and interactive. With accessibility to popular social media platforms, new media examples are showing that individuals can develop and share their own material, just as easily as they can consume it. Social media has enabled anyone to add to public discussions, rather than just website the major media companies and so as a result, mass media is no longer managed by a few big voices. Instead, it is spread across millions of user narratives around the world.

In today day, online platforms have made it significantly easier for everyone to create and share material. Previously, creating content for a broad audience called for connectivity to a series of important resources and financing. Presently, with the use of mobile phones and typical digital technologies, digital media content examples for instance, short form videos, website articles and podcasts can be easily developed with just a couple of basic devices, along with reaching a large audience, extremely quickly. This has opened the door for more diverse voices, especially those who were previously neglected by mainstream media. The head of the parent company of Guardian Media Group would recognise the importance of mass media using social networking sites, indicating that social media has created a place for underrepresented communities to share their narratives.