Convergence of an increasingly globalized mass media is constantly affecting popular culture and everyday lives. Now, there is an immediate requirement of media literacy in this modern digital age.
Just a decade ago, print, radio, broadcast, advertisements and all the other forms of mass media utilized their own separate platforms to reach out to their audiences. Each of them had a separate set of targeted audience and catered to them according to their needs and taste. Interestingly, it was the media who decided the content to be served and set the agendas accordingly. Now, ever since the evident boom in internet and smart-phone accessibilty across the globe, media has undergone a major change in dissemination and consumption patterns of news and information. The shift in consumption trends began with ‘convergence’ of media platforms via internet. Internet created a whole new dimension of transmitting information to a larger set of audiences. Gradually, it earned a term for itself, now famously called ‘digital media’. Digital media which exists virtually on screens of a phone or laptop or desktop and has led to the convergence of media. Convergence of media is a major shift in journalism practices which has emerged due to advancements in technology across the globe. It is, basically, shrinking of multiple devices into one device, which can be a mobile phone, tablet or a laptop.
Convergence of media is a result of technological changes, both in terms of devices (for eg. Mobile phones) and in terms of configurations (internet and creation of virtual platforms). Along with the traditional media, digital media has created its own space and is growing at a faster rate across the world. Due to this, news rooms are experiencing a major cultural shift in reporting and news disseminating practices. Now, a print media organization doesn’t only works as a newspaper agency but participates in digital activities to reach out to a larger set of audiences. Hindustan Times (India) is the best example to demonstrate convergence of media which now, has a strong digital presence through facebook lives, videos, podcasts and simultaneously, maintaining the newspaper articles.
The shift in culture has impacted both, the providers and consumers. The consumers are now more active, discerning and learned. The convergence of media platforms have initiated a two way communication between the media and the audience. Now, the media doesn’t work on ‘Uses and Gratification’ and the impact of hypodermic needle theory doesn’t actually imply anymore. Continuous feedback and participation from the audience have altered the working of media majorly. Convergence has resulted in a two-way flow of information. The audience, now, also act as information providers through sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr.
This two-way flow of information has given rise to ‘citizen journalism’. Now, citizens have the power to provide information and news on their own through their smart phones and all-time internet accessibility. The reporters, on the other hand, don’t have to be present at every incident to cover the story. Instead, they ‘crowd-source’ the data from these citizen journalists and verify the facts. Convergence has altered the jobs of journalists. Now, they verify news and information, check the facts and then publish the story on their websites.
Convergence of media has turned the world into a global village. It is easier and more flexible to access the news and information over mobile phone and other devices within the seconds of the incident taking place, from any part of the world. At the same time, the content is not only about being the first to broadcast news story but also, to maintain the quality of content provided by media through digital and multi-media platforms. Participation of the general people has led to the process of quality-content check and in a way, is helping various news platforms to restore their credibility that they were losing over time in the hurry of being the ‘first’ to convey the news.
The most important fact is that it will become a necessity to have an online presence for a news media to keep a positive growth scale. Almost every media house, viz broadcast, radio and print has realized the importance of being digitally available to its audience. This might result in the downward trend of print media but will eventually show a rising scale in readability of news. For example, The Independent, a UK based newspaper, turned completely digital in 2016. It doesn’t have a print or hard copy newspaper anymore. This certainly points towards the future of media, where every news agency, whether print or broadcast, would take the digital path to reach out to its audience and gain more subscriptions.
On the other hand, the audience have begun to consume more information on their phones than switching to television or newspapers. A study by Mary Meeker (2016) says that only 4 hours per week on average is spent on television as compared to 28 hours on the mobile phone. These smart phones adjust to the needs of the user. One can read, watch, hear the audios of the same data according to one’s needs and requirements, without forgetting that they also enjoy the power to provide instant feedbacks at the same time. The change in the audience approach towards consuming information has forced the media to change its methods of disseminating news. Convergence has majorly impacted the media and have enhanced the functioning of media in a more convenient manner.
Although, convenience is not the only thing that convergence of media has resulted in. Instead, the access of providing information freely has also given rise to a trend of ‘fake news’. That’s the exact reason why the social media users require media literacy in order to able to differentiate between genuine and in-genuine information provided and accessible on the internet.
Media literacy completely reflects on the understanding of the audience. It’s their ability to critically analyse the news and information and see if the source is credible enough to be trusted as a source. Though convergence has come a long way relatively, media literacy has a long way to go. Not many audience understand the importance and role of media literacy in digital media platform.
When the convergence of media and media literacy would walk together with equal importance, the fake news and other negative adversities would come to an end.
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