Matthew Harkins
The Impact of Digital
Devices on News Media
The landscape of our media over the
past couple of years has gone through some drastic transformations and it is
directly linked to the growing prevalence of digital devices. It is no shock
that our increasing access to different digital platforms has had strong
implications on how and when content is accessed by consumers. As a result news
media has had to change its approach in producing content.
When we actually consider it, the
prominence of digital devices in our everyday lives is startling. We would have
to be blind to not recognize how rapidly and strongly digital devices have
pushed their way into our lives. According to Pew Research Center’s article Mobile Devices and News Consumption: Some
Good Signs for Journalism, “More than three-quarters of U.S. adults
own laptop or desktop computers, a number that has been stable for some years.
Now, in addition, 44% of adults own a smartphone, and the number of
tablet owners grew by about 50% since the summer of 2011, to 18% of Americans
over age 18.” (Mitchell) As we can tell, in our society the number of
digital device owners keeps climbing.
Research suggests that audiences
behave differently on different digital platforms. “There are some signs
that the way people interact with news on mobile devices is quite different
than news behavior on the desktop/laptop computers. Data from Localytics, a
client-based mobile analytics firm, analyzed by PEJ reveals that people spend
far more time with news apps on the smartphone and tablet, visit more pages at
a sitting, and return more frequently than they do on conventional computers.”
(Mitchell) If the function of digital devices varies for users accessing
content, this might mean that news outlets may strategically cater certain
content for certain devices.
Portable devices like smartphones
and tablets are currently at the forefront of media expansion.
According to Pew Research Center’s annual report on the state of the
news media for 2013, “The clearest pattern of news audience
growth in 2012 came on digital platforms, and the proliferation of digital
devices in peoples’ lives seemed to be a big part of the reason.” The
report also notes that, “Accessing news is one of the most
popular uses for the devices, enabling Americans to get news whenever they want
and wherever they might be.”
News media is one aspect of the industry
that has heavily been affected by this digital movement. The demand for content
now extends much further than just television and print. Devices like
computers, smartphones and tablets offer new alternative ways to access and
consume news compared to traditional outlets like television, newspaper and
magazines. “From traditional content offered by TV broadcasters to native
content from digital publishers, technological advancements mean consumers now
have myriad options to watch what, when and how they want.” (Nielson) We now
have so many options, and it is effecting how the industry must act. News
companies have adapted to this growing shift to digital, by catering to peoples
increasing need for instant and up to date information.
With the ability to
check the news whenever and wherever, it means that the demand for consumable
content will increase. This means that news outlets have the responsibility of
publishing news stories as soon as they happen. In an article by Michael
Hiltzik from the Los Angeles Times, he explains the possible increase for certain
types of content. “One suspects that the real reason that new online journalism
sites often focus on commentary, analysis and context isn't to feed unfulfilled
demand, but because the overhead is low. You can commentate from anywhere,
including your bedroom or your mother's attic. Breaking a news story, however,
often means buying a plane ticket, checking into a hotel, and deep-ending into
a single subject for weeks or months at a time.” (Hiltzik) The increase of
commentary and analysis related news content could arguably be a direct cause
of the expansion and popularity of digital devices.
The business model of
news outlets has also had to accommodate the transition towards digital. “The
problem isn't a lack of demand in the marketplace, but the shrinking revenue
options in the transition to online distribution from advertiser- and
subscriber-supported print.” (Hiltzik) Economically, the news industry has had
to build new business strategies to make up for losses of physical content,
resulting in the implementation of various business strategies, ultimately impacting
the quality of content produced. News companies are struggling to find keep profiting
in this transition to digital news distribution.
News has definitely
been one area of media that has seen some challenges with the rise of digital
media. It has been forced to adapt and still faces challenges, whether it’s the
quality and quantity of content produced or the issue of shrinking revenue
options, news media has yet to find its stride in digital world.
Works Cited
"Any Way You Watch It: Nielsen to
Incorporate Mobile Viewing into TV Ratings and Dynamic Digital Ratings." Nielson.com.
Nielson, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
Hiltzik, Michael. "Supply of News
Is Dwindling amid the Digital Media Transformation." Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times, 02 Feb. 2014. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
Mitchell, Amy, Tom Rosenstiel, and Leah
Christian. “Mobile Devices and News
Consumption: Some Good Signs for Journalism | State of the Media.” The Pew Research Center's Project for
Excellence in Journalism. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
(http://stateofthemedia.org/2012/mobile-devices-and-news-consumption-some-good-signs-for-journalism/)
“The State of the News Media 2013 – Key
Findings." Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. April
2013. Web. 08 Feb.2014.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement, “If the function of digital devices varies for users accessing content, this might mean that news outlets may strategically cater certain content for certain devices.” The way that we consume news now is different than the way we used to in the past.
According to “The State of News Media 2013,” “Some 31% of adults owned a tablet computer as of 2013, almost four times the share recorded in May 2011. Pew Research also found that web-enabled smartphones are even more widespread” (Pew Research). Reading the news on a tablet or a phone has become the norm. It is taking over the traditional physical and cable methods. It has become easier for consumers to look at their phone anytime, anywhere than to actually sit down and watch or read the news.
News media has to be user-ready. Meaning, it has to be quick and accurate. If most people are now getting their information from smart phones, they want the information right away. While not everyone has a computer with them at all times, it is likely that they will have their smartphone or tablet. Besides being readily available, the article has to contain information that consumers want to read. According to the article, “CNN Becoming Like Fox News, MSNBC, Pew Study Finds,” “CNN’s coverage of live daytime events, other than interviews, plunged from 45% of its daytime lineup in 2007 to 23% in 2012…The end result is a marked increase in the number of opinionated chatter coming across the airwaves” (Lang). It is almost as if CNN is attempting to use opinion to get readers. This proves how difficult it is to understand exactly what readers want to see on the news.
What is also important to highlight is that the way the news is consumed effects all different aspects of the media industry. Also stated in “The State of News Media 2013,” “overall digital advertising grew 17% in 2012…Display advertising, the main source of digital ad revenue for news, grew 22% to $15 billion in 2012” (Pew Research). If people are mainly getting their news from digital devices, advertisers now need to cater to the masses. The more people are looking at news on their devices, the more ads that will also be featured.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, advertisers and journalists have to take into account the readers who will see the stories on social media websites. There has been a huge increase in uses of websites such as Facebook and Twitter .As written in “News Use Across Social media Platforms,” “Facebook is by far the largest social networking site among U.S. adults, and with half of its users getting news there, is also the largest among U.S. adults when it comes to getting news” (Pew Research). The article, “The Role of News on Facebook,” said, “Liking or commenting on news stories occurs almost as frequently as clicking on links” (Pewresearch.org).
I think this represents how vast the media industry is. When focusing on a topic such as News Media, we can’t only focus on one aspect of the media industry, such as print media. Everything must be taken into account because of how everything affects one another. If users are getting their news from social media or their tablets, news has to be written so it is available on these devices. Therefore, news sites such as CNN, might have to change the type of news they usual write. This then affects advertisements, etc. This is what is so interesting about the media industry. It is constantly changing, and all different aspects must keep up.
Works Cited
"Key Findings The State of the News Media 2013." State of the Media. The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, Web. 08 Feb. 2014.
Lang, Brent. "CNN Becoming Like Fox News, MSNBC, Pew Study Finds - TheWrap." TheWrap. 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
"News Use across Social Media Platforms." Pew Research Center. Nov. 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2014.
"The Role of News on Facebook." Pew Research Center. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.
Mathew,
ReplyDeleteThis was in my opinion a very informative and thorough blog. I found myself nodding my head to things I was already aware of, and at the same time raising an eyebrow to other things said. First of all I will start by saying that reading “More than three-quarters of US Adults own laptop or desktop computers, a number that has been staple for some years. Now in addition, 44% of adults own a smartphone, and the number of tablets owners grew by about 50% since the summer of 2011, to 18% of Americans over age 18.”(Mitchell) This didn’t really surprise me because I can look back to even earlier 2011, and can recall laptops and smart phones being very popular. When it comes to smartphones I remember back as early as 2007, them being very popular. I remember in 2005-2006 when I got my first cellphone, which was one of those flip phones, and I know my dad had been using a flip phone since 1992-1993. However going to school with my flip phone, and seeing people with their cellphones I soon realize how behind I was to my classmates when it came to media devices. It wouldn’t be until 2007, that my whole family and myself got with the program and got smart phones. I remember getting a blackberry from Verizon Wireless. When it came to laptops, I can recall laptops being a staple back when I was in high school as well. Kids at my high school had laptops, iPods, everything when it came to media devices. This was back in 2008, it was once again not until December of 2010 that I finally got my first mac laptop; my sister also got one as well. I had though previously had a dell laptop, which was in 2009. You said in your blog that the Pew Research Center’s annual report states, “ Accessing news is one of the most popular enabling Americans to get news whenever they want and wherever they might be.” This is supported in the article News Use across Social Media Platforms where it says “News plays a varying role across the social networking sites. Roughly half of both Facebook and Twitter users get news on those sites, earlier reports have shown.”(pewresearch.org) Another article that supports that people indeed go on websites to access is the Role of News on Facebook. In the article of the Role of News on Facebook it says, “Overall, about half of adult Facebook users, “ever” get news there. That amounts to 30% of the population.”(pewresearch.org) Now to one of the things you mentioned that I didn’t really argue on. You said that researchers suggest the audiences behave differently on different digital platforms and that “there are some signs that the way people interact with news on mobile devices is quite different than news behavior on desktop/laptop computers”, I’d say based on my observations and experiences, that people act the same regardless of the social media they are using. In general people are more truthful about what they really feel, because there are no consequences to saying things on social media, as opposed to in person. In conclusion, I definitely agree that news has seen some challenges with the rise of digital media. I honestly believe that it will continue to get worse, especially with people consuming less TV and going online to find their news. I personally rarely watch TV for the news, I’m always on yahoo.com getting it. It’s unfortunate but that’s just the sign of the times we live in.
Works cited
"News Use across Social Media Platforms." Pew Research Center. Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
"The Role of News on Facebook." Pew Research Center. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
The way we attain news these days is so easy and convenient that print media seems almost obsolete and on a steady decrease in demand. I can see an end for print media in the near future. From my perspective, it seems as though with modern day news media is a more effective way of getting the most new and recent news out in the fastest way possible to consumers. Although, I don’t see how they are making money by this. Selling papers and magazines makes sense and I can see it as a lucrative method of making money and keeping revenue coming in. News media seems free and as if there is not as much money coming in as there was before the creation of news media. This is just an observation from my personal experiences with the use of news media. Living in the world that we are currently in is based around technology and having access to anything at our finger tips. I can’t tell you the last time I purchased a newspaper or even a magazine. “An August 2012 Pew Research study found that fully 64% of tablet owners say they get news on their devices weekly; 37% reported they do so daily. The trend is nearly identical for smartphone owners – 62% said they consume news on their device weekly, and 36% do so daily (stateofthemedia.org).” These statistics were a real eye opener for me because it shows in raw numbers the high percent of tablet and smartphones users receiving their news from devices regularly.
ReplyDeleteHow we receive our news these days is something that I never really put much thought into but after reading your post you made some really great points that brought the reality of news media to light. I can imagine that news companies are taking some financial hit by the new and modern approach to news media in technology. I typically get my news from checking the news application on my phone. But, the majority of the time I just go on Facebook on my phone the majority of the time and see someone’s posting of the latest event which is linked to a news website. This has turned into my primary means of news currently. Although from one of this week’s readings adults tend that use Facebook as their main news source are not fond of using their mobile devices for this yet. “Fully 59% of all adult Facebook users and 53% of Facebook news consumers mostly access the site through a desktop or laptop computer rather than a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet (Mitchell, Page).”
I think news media on devices is excellent and the future of news. The fact that we can get real time updates on what going on in the world is amazing. Digital devices are the modern day newspapers and magazines. It great to be able to have everything you are looking for all in one place in the palm of your hand. Although, I think that it takes away from the educational growth you can receive from reading the news. I think it is fine for people that don’t necessarily have the time to grab and read a paper. With these devices a lot of the times you have the option to watch videos on news stories even have the devices read out the article for you to listen and I think that can take away from the experience of reading the news. Also, many children are getting smartphones and tablets at such a young age and aren’t looking to get their news from print sources where they should be. When I was younger every Sunday after church my family would stop at the local convenient store and grab a newspaper a magazine or two we each liked. We would then go home and read it together as a family. I saw this as a great learning experience that helped me grow and become smarter that I valued from my childhood. I don’t see the youth currently doing the same and I believe this is a burden to the growth of the younger generations to come. But that is a whole different topic of conversation regarding digital devices and media.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
"Key Findings | State of the Media." Key Findings | State of the Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. .
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page. "The Role of News on Facebook, Common Yet Incidental." Pewresearch.org. N.p., 24 Oct. 2013. Web.
Matt,
ReplyDeleteTo start off, this was a very well put together blog and I think you really hit this topic right on the head.
I personally am always on my iPhone, whether it be for work, for school or just checking Twitter and Facebook. It really does surprise me how often I use it. I first noticed it most when Professor Burns made us monitor our media usage for her class my junior year. I couldn’t believe the amount of hours I actually spent on it. So when you said, “When we actually consider it, the prominence of digital devices in our everyday lives is startling”. You sure were not wrong.
When you gave the statistics from Pew Research Center’s article Mobile Devices and News Consumption: Some Good Signs for Journalism, “More than three-quarters of U.S. adults own laptop or desktop computers, a number that has been stable for some years. Now, in addition, 44% of adults own a smartphone, and the number of tablet owners grew by about 50% since the summer of 2011, to 18% of Americans over age 18” (Mitchell). I was blown away. I do remember when I was still using a desktop computer that I shared with my parents, and now every person in my household (3 of us) has their own iPad and smart phone. Knowing that, it is really no surprise how our devices are playing such a heavy role in our news media.
According “The State of News Media 2013”, “accessing news is one of the most popular uses for the devices, enabling Americans to get news whenever they want and wherever they might be. An August 2012 Pew Research study found that fully 64% of tablet owners say they get news on their devices weekly; 37% reported they do so daily. The trend is nearly identical for smartphone owners – 62% said they consume news on their device weekly, and 36% do so daily” (Pew Research). We can see that now reading the news on a smart phone or tablet has become a social norm. People will turn on their televisions and find out news, but when people carry around their smart phones or tablets all day it is easier to access the news there.
According to the article, “The Role of News on Facebook”, “about half the adult Facebook users, 47% “ever” get news there. That amounts to 30% of the population” (pewresearch.org). Even though most users do not go on Facebook to get news they do stumble across it. In the article it also goes on to tell us that, “Liking or commenting on news stories occurs almost as frequently as clicking on links” (pewresearch.org).
With this “instant” access to news all the time, people want their news and they want it quick. It is now in such high demand that news outlets need to get their stories done quicker than ever before. When a story breaks, people want to know and that’s where their smart phones and tablets come into play. It truly is amazing that while I could be just hanging around in my apartment, I could get an update from ESPN, CNN or Fox with some breaking news right to my phone. Having access to news from anywhere is great, but news as we once knew it will soon be very different.
Work Cited
“The State of the News Media 2013 – Key Findings." Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. April 2013. Web.
“The Role of News on Facebook.” Pew Research Center. 24 Oct. 2013. Web.
Mitchell, Amy, Tom Rosenstiel, and Leah Christian. “Mobile Devices and News Consumption: Some Good Signs for Journalism | State of the Media.” The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMatt,
ReplyDeleteNice job! You made some really great points about the new age of the newsroom. I totally agree that the advancements in technologies over the past few years have added new aspects and complications to newsgathering. Digital devices are no doubt changing news media. I think one of the best points you brought up was the idea that mobile (handheld smartphones) devices have become a great factor in how people view news material.
You mentioned that the amount of people who own mobile devices has significantly risen in recent years. A study titled “The State of the News Media 2013”, conducted by the Pew Research Center agreed with this point. Pew had this to say on the matter, “As of December 2012, about 45% of adults owned a smartphone, up from 35% in May 2011” (The State). After reading your blog and the Pew study, I think its safe to say that digital devices are here to stay. But what does this mean for the news media? I think your blog did a nice job outlining some of the concerns of this fast growing trend.
Your blog mentioned that an increasing number of people are accessing news via smartphone apps. And I completely agree that news media will try their best to cater to this new trend. Another recent study done by the Pew Research Center titled, “Twitter News Consumers” did a nice job highlighting key aspects of Twitter and Facebook’s effect on individuals’ newsgathering experiences, “mobile devices are a key point of access for these twitter consumers. The vast majority, 85%, gets news (of any kind) at least sometimes on mobile devices. That out paces Facebook news consumers by 20 percentage points; 64% of Facebook news consumers use mobile devices for news” (Twitter). It will be interesting to see how news media handle this trend in up coming years.
You also mentioned the demand for news content in your blog. You pointed out that the desire for quick and often news postings is only growing due to digital devices. This got me thinking about the fate of investigative journalism. As your blog briefly points out, investigative journalism is slower and costly which makes it a less popular/ profitable form of news media. The industry is also left with concerns on this matter, “newsroom cutbacks add up to an industry, more undermanned and unprepared to uncover stories, big deep into emerging stories or to question information put into its hands” (The State), noted Pew. Is this what we should expect to see form journalism in the future? I guess only time will tell, but with a “30% decline of newsroom staff since 2000. According to 2012 estimates” (The State) according to Pew, the fate of investigative journalism is not looking so great.
But not all hope should be lost for the news media. The industry is finding ways to work with digital devices and is starting to capitalize in some areas, “mobile ads grew 80% in 2012. At $2.6 billion, mobile now accounts for roughly 7% of total digital ad spending. eMarketer projects it will hit 21% by 2016” (The State). This is good news for news media. At the end of the day, news media has to turn a profit and with advancements in ways to advertise to people over mobile, the future of news media in the world of digital devices can only improve.
Again, very nice job! I enjoyed reading your insightful look at the effect of digital devices on news media.
Work Cited
“The State of the News Media 2013 – Key Findings." Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. April 2013. Web.
“Twitter News Consumers.” Pew Research Center. 4 Nov. 2013. Web.
Matt, I enjoyed your article, and I completely agree with a lot of its points. News media has gone through a pseudo-existential crisis ever since digital publishing has taken off and print subscribers have been dropping steadily. One of the first examples of this for me was when the Newsweek Magazine transitioned from print to only digital editions, removing my ability to access the content easily, as the magazine could only be accessed from a tablet or computer, but not a cell phone. There of course has been some push back from these major transitions, people used to reading print need to adjust and those that are unwilling are finding it harder to find the same content, but there’s no denying which direction the news media industry is heading. After all, the New York Times reported that only 10% of its print subscribers are between 18-24, meanwhile 71% of Millennials access their news online and are 112% more likely to use their mobile device to get their news if they’ve read the news in the last seven days (NAA). The entire business is moving online, and that is causing some growing pains. Already, I’ve noticed the New York Times experimenting with different payment models and allowing some limited free online access to their content, but those gears turn slowly, and the company has been taking hit after hit in their revenue. Recently they’ve had to sell off their shares in the Boston Globe, disowning entirely that entire branch of their media empire. The largest and most shocking recent indicator of the industry financial woes has been the selling of The Washington Post, marking the first time the paper has been owned outside the Graham family since 1946 (owned previously by his father in law, Eugene Meyer). For context, and a reason why this is such a massive change, The Washington Post has a near sacred journalistic reputation for integrity. This is the same newspaper that challenged the White House by revealing the Watergate scandal, eventually forcing Nixon to resign. This newspaper, which has won 46 Pulitzer prizes, was in such steep financial trouble that it had to sell itself to Jeff Bezos, best known as the CEO and founder of Amazon.com. The industry is changing fast, and traditional news outlets are finding it harder and harder to keep up and stay in business, let alone compete. Another major factor is the numerous news outlets now giving away their content for free. News reported has always had two major sources of income, subscriptions and ad revenue. Remove subscriptions from the case and you have much more influence from the advertisers.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most drastic and startling changes for news has to be the invention of the viral story. Social media is having a big impact on the stories that get read and popular. Digital prints set their advertising rates based on their clicks, page views, and unique visitors. This means that the most profitable stories are the ones that go viral, get copied and pasted into social media, and spread to as many people as possible. This is especially important now that newspapers are struggling to remain in the black. Unfortunately, the links and articles that spread the best are the most important, the most factually accurate, or even the most interesting (although the latter has a better chance than the rest). The links that get posted to social media are often the most outrageous, whether you agree with a link or not, if it caters to an extreme opinion than people are much more likely to read it. I think this explains the popularity of Fox News commentary shows. The extreme right wing conservatives that make up their most popular shows get so much exposure and revenue simply by people reacting to their outrageous statements, and those opinions spread over social media forcing people to react and share. It’s no wonder that Fox News has more commentary than factual reporting, and is still the highest rated cable news outlet (Lang).
DeleteWorks Cited:
Lang, Brent. "CNN Becoming Like Fox News, MSNBC, Pew Study Finds - TheWrap." TheWrap. N.p., 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. .
NAA. "Millennials Still Want Their Newspapers [Infographic]." Infographic: Millennials Still Want Their Newspapers. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2014. .
I found your blog to be extremely interesting. I agree with the fact that there have been some serious changes made to our media over the course of the past few decades. As time goes on and technology become more advanced, it is not surprise what people have access to. Digital devices in our every day lives play a very large and significant role in how we spend out days. I don’t doubt that the number of these devices will continue to increase as time move forwards and technology continues to progress. Media is everywhere, and our generation is known for very often obtaining it through portable digital devices, such as smart phones. I have had an iPhone for almost two years no, and it is truly amazing what you can do with such a small device. Tablets are also at the basis of the expanding media as we know it. I agree with you when you said that “with the ability to check the new whenever and wherever, it means that the demand for consumable content with increase”. It is pretty interesting that we have the ability to look up current news events and breaking stories all day every day. Even if we are not home, or far from a television or radio, we still have the ability to check out what is going on in the world. It only raises the question as to what times will be like in the near future, or further down the road when we are having kids. The digital expansion is such an important phenomena because Americans everywhere have such easy access. This message is constantly in our face as our nation continues to be consumed by the mass media. I found it quite fascinating when you began to list important statistics. “Now, in addition, 44% of adults own a smartphone, and the number of tablet owners grew by about 50% since the summer of 2011, to 18% of Americans over age 18.” (Mitchell) As we can tell, in our society the number of digital device owners keeps climbing.” It makes me want to research the topic more in depth, and see what percentage of digital news consumption has been effected over the course of my life, essentially the last twenty years. “For more than a decade, as the desktop/laptop era of computing took hold, news organizations were at a severe disadvantage competing against a raft of financially and technologically stronger tech companies. Now, the rapid advance of the mobile era threatens a whole new level of upheaval, as both the costs and technological challenges of keeping up in the swiftly evolving news ecosystem multiply.” Within an article I found myself online, I began to realize that google is such a dominant source for our generation to look up relevant daily information. It’s simplicity and convenience in the palm of our hand proves this fact. I can easily reach into my pocket, pull out my phone, and search for anything that I am curious about. Are news organizations becoming dependent on google or the internet to obtain the information that they will be releasing? Or are the suffering from it because of the intense competition in this market?
ReplyDeleteDigital: As Mobile Grows Rapidly, the Pressures on News Intensify http://stateofthemedia.org/2013/digital-as-mobile-grows-rapidly-the-pressures-on-news-intensify/
Michaels, Phillip. “iPhone, iPad Sales Up, Macs Fall as Apple Sees Record Sales.” Jan. 23, 2013.