Thanks to digital technology related to the mass media channels of the Internet and social media, the world is globally connected. Information flows back and forth between users and developers of informational content. In the past, the information flow through media channels was one-way. The Internet and social media have made it such that information flow is now two-way between the sender and the receiver. Receivers no longer idly stand by while information is disseminated to them from senders (newspapers, magazines, marketers, etc.). Audiences are now able to fully engage with the senders in ways that demonstrate their needs and wants. Thus, society’s expectations have changed when it comes to mass media. Whereas in the past, mass media dictated how, when, and where information was disseminated, audience members are now in control over the communication process. These changes in expectations can be traced to the digital technology which changed the dynamics between mass media and audiences, namely the Internet and social media.
The 24/7 availability of information through digital technology means that it can be accessed at anytime and anywhere. The channels of mass media must now determine the needs of audiences so that they can address them in ways that attract their attention. Convergence journalism (getting the news out to audiences when, where, and how they want it) is an example of how the public demand for engagement with disseminators of information has changed the relationship between mass media and its audiences. In her discussion of convergence journalism, Kolodzy (2013) explains that modern consumers of the news want to check out, choose, and collaborate with journalists and that digital tools such as social media allow them to do so. Furthermore, the digital devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, etc.) that audiences use to engage with journalists through social media has led to citizen journalism where citizens now participate in reporting the news. “The means to publish is now in the hands of citizens, while the internet encourages new forms of journalism that are interactive and immediate” (Ward, 2021, para 2). This evolution points to technology’s influence on what consumers of news and information expect in terms of how, when, and where, they get it.
Resources
Kolodzy, J. (2013). Practicing convergence journalism. New York, NY: Routledge.
Ward, S.J.A. (2021). Digital media ethics. University of Wisconsin-Madison. https://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/resources/digital-media-ethics/
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