Before the emergence of television and radio, print media dominated the majority of known societies. However, the technological innovations that were introduced during from the 19th till the 21st Century have created a new global marketplace, transcending national borders and culture barriers. This proliferation of news and their homogenous nature is evident in almost all media mediums used and it is far more forceful and dynamic than the print press news initiators could have ever imagined. Nevertheless, although the technological changes that have occurred have increased the speed and the amount of the exchanged information, especially though the use of the Internet, it has been almost impossible for scholars to accept a universal definition of what constitutes today the news, or how this vast increase in outlets and media will influence news production, distribution, or consumption in the future.
Regardless of how well-designed and targeted a message may be, or what it may desire to transmit, it will not succeed its original purpose unless it is disseminated to the selected targets through the most appropriate medium. What is the appropriate medium? One that complements the message, one that addresses individuals consistently, and most importantly, one that delivers the message at the right time, when the target is most receptive. By selecting the most appropriate medium, the message can generate a positive reaction from the target, transform it to a prospective audience, and finally mature it to a friendly receiver.
According to media scholars, one valuable lesson from the early ages of news release has been the effective selection and combination of the appropriate media vehicles, known in contemporary marketing studies as the media mix. This process has proven to be complex, while it required careful identification of the target segment. Vested upon this fact, lies another important realization. The media environment has been changing almost cyclically in reaction to technological, economic, market, cultural, and political forces. Contemporary media scholars, if they wish to acquire an important lesson from the past communication practices, have to take under consideration that the latest forms of news gathering, have turned their current focus on entertainment and "soft news." This shift is not a recent outcome. It has happened in the past and it's based on the notion of complying with the existing consumer beliefs, the social norms that prevail, the economic models that emerge, and of course the competitive trends in the media industry.
This news quest resulted in an important shift in the contemporary journalists' work. Today, in comparison to the past, the desired audiences tend to have an active and not passive role during the news consumption process. This shift is strengthened by the fact that citizens globally are aware the news hidden purpose. News nowadays are not disseminated, as indented originally, to educate, unite and inform the societies they penetrate, but rather to entertain, mislead and hide the important essence of the messages from public attention. News has ceased to be news compared with its past definition. Media scholars, along with today's consumers, must research and understand the underlying principles of this noticeable change before attempting to alter the scenery and claim back the news' utility. It's not only another public interest topic. It's a practice that will alter consumers' present role and the future course of media practices.
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