New Forms of Media Publishing

In Print vs Online; Design Considerations I highlighted the differences between publishing for printed and online media. Today we muse new forms of media publishing.

New media is a term which encompasses the emergence of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies in the later part of the 20th century, and looking forward into the future.

Most technologies described as "new media" are digital, often having
characteristics of being manipulable, networkable, dense, compressible, and impartial (Flew, 2008).

<edited from Image Source>

New Media changes continuously due to the fact that it is constantly modified and redefined by the interaction between the creative use of the masses, emerging technology, cultural changes.

The Australian reports that job ads are down in Australia, a sure sign of a slowing economy. But the interesting part is in the divide between online and print. According to the numbers, weekly job advertisements in Australian newspapers averaged 15,105 a week in August, vs 234,009 online per week.

The online job market in Australia is now 15.6 times larger than the print market! Print now delivers only 6% of all job ads in Australia where as ten years ago the figure would have been close to 100%.

Recognising the threats posed to them by free, frequently updated, and rich media alternatives available online, many traditional media organisations have embraced the technology, such as News Limited (who publishes national staples such as The Australian and many state-wide newspapers) with NEWS.com.au.

The predicament facing those in charge of traditional media companies is trying to predict the future, so that they can restructure their organistations to fit the needs of new media publications which look set to replace traditional mediums as their 'bread and butter'.


References:

Flew 2008, "New Media", <http://terryflew.blogspot.com/search?q=New+Media>.

Image: Cartoon Stock 2005, Mfln536, <http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mfl/lowres/mfln536l.jpg>.