People’s Content: How Media Power Has Shifted
Television, movies and games have been instrumental in shaping the minds of billions of people for some time now. Now it can be argued that this is no longer the absolute case as social media is slowly developing into a very influential medium in modern society. In the past, mediums such as televisions carried content belonging to big media houses and corporations and even the movies that could be rented from the movie rental store where films that belonged to big budget holders.
These days however content can come from any source with device equipped with a camera. This is a significant shift from how things use to be to how things are now. This however does not mean that the tv and film have completely lost ta place on the pedestal content consumption but it just means that there are new ways which are joining the industry. Movies and tv runs have adapted and migrated to the internet where content can be accessed via streaming and downloads but now they have to compete with millions of smaller content creators for getting people’s attention.
In the past people depended on shows cable channels like Discovery to find out more about their world and science whereas it is now contemporary for people to find whatever they desire to know on media platforms like YouTube. This article will look at some of the ways in which the media landscape is being revolutionised and try to see where the current media power of influence lies.
Know it All
The web running through the internet is a vast repository of information that has no known equal. This is because it allows anyone to publish whatever it is they desire to publish on the net. This means that the experts of old are no longer the sole custodians of knowledge as many people around the world share their expertise which is readily available through a simple web search.
It is no longer necessary for a person to depend on content about a specific subject to be published by an expert magazine or to be aired on tv but will find multiple independent websites that will discuss the subject thoroughly. A newbie can find information on where to play at a safe casino online or anywhere without having to rent out movies that only give a slight glimpse into the world of gambling. A person no longer needs to rest their hopes of learning about animals from National Geographic but can find infinite videos online about independent studies on creatures.
Blogging
Blogging, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, was first created by the founder of the World Wide Web Consortium Tim Barnes Lee in 1992 when he discussed HTTP and the creation of the World Wide Web. This was basically in the first days of the web and as amazing as it is to know that the first blog was about the creation of the world wide web, it is still negligible due to the fact that when compared to modern blogs, it had far lesser reach of the general population and spoke of things people would not understand.
Present-day blogs are powerful means of communication and the blogger has the opportunity to reach millions of people not through a massive marketing campaign but by just having the right content to share.
Telling Stories
Imaginably, it is safe to presume that something that has prevailing attractive force on humans is their need for stories. Movies are mostly about that, regardless of the genre, movies are there to capture the imagination by telling stories that are unique stimulating to the emotions. This arena has for a long time belonged to big production houses and they have greatly influenced the shape of present day culture.
It can be argued that this space is still heavily in the hands of well-known brands but a significant part of the share in the market has gone to Indie content creators. Indie films have become a norm in the film world to such an extent that award ceremonies such as the BIFA are enjoying popularity and relevance.
Journalism
Journalism as one of the most influential forms of media has also been concentrated in the hands of huge media houses and they have been at the forefront of current news for a long time. The changing times and changes in technology have twisted the status quo and today news and journalism is no longer confined to editorial rooms but much of it is available on the web through independent journalists.
Modern journalism does not depend on the printed press, the radio and television but can be provided and accessed through RSS feeds in the form of podcasts. Other channels that are utilised such as Facebook and Twitter ensure that a bigger reach can be achieved without the constraints of lacking big budgets.
Media Entertainment
Entertainment such as comedies and parodies have become the lifeblood of social media. Shows such as the ‘Daily Show’ are no longer the go to places to find great satirical work. Content on fun public trickery of challenges is now available in incredible diversity on platforms like tick-tock and new popular and far reaching content creators are coming to the fore.
This phenomenon can also be seen in children’s entertainment where an ordinary person like Stevin John has created a character named Blippi who has managed to garner more than 13 billion views on his independent videos.
Free For All
Fresh media that does not carry the stamp of approval from big media companies is the new way of influencing opinions and creating new cultures sub cultures. This trend is likely to get even more pronounced as technology evolves and allows easier ways of not only cresting content but also distributing it.
This suggests that more and more people will be inspired to create their own content as time progresses. More people are getting the confidence to do this without feeling the a heavy shadow being cast on them by big corporations and the old kings of industry.
