1 What kinds of technologies are part of the new
media? There are many types of products within the “new media.” To list a few
we can say that the internet as a whole is the biggest type of new media but to
be more specific we can lists-websites, blogs, YouTube videos, applications,
Twitter and other social media sites, vlogs and many more. Additionally, one is
able to access channels through handheld devices as well as computers and
tablets. Individuals are able to watch or read something at any time and can
videochat with any person in the world.
2
How important is the internet to the new media?
Well just from the assignments alone we
have seen one major part of the new media, the news media integrating all of
their services online. The readings assigned were from various websites such as
CNN.com, Yahoo.com and other various webpages. After the technological revolution,
many of the print and even television stations had to change their business completely
to integrate the internet into their business. Another way in which one can see
how the internet is important is by looking at the role they play in streaming
services. Take Netflix for example, the company started out as a business which
allowed individuals to rent movies online and get the DVD in a matter of days,
all that would have to be paid for is a small monthly fee. Now, a few years
down the road, discs have been thrown out and the only service they offer are
streaming services which can be seen through any channel practically which can
access the internet. These businesses rely on the internet to function and if
there was even the smallest outage, they would lose millions of dollars. Because
of businesses like Netflix and Hulu (another streaming service), many cable
networks have lost a lot of money and have had to merge with other companies in
order to stay in business. Many Networks now even incorporate their shows to be
streamed online, one such example, HBO, has an application called HBOGO that
allows users to watch their shows up to an hour after it originally airs
online. Another example can be seen in one of the articles assigned, “Who Needs
a TV? I’m Watching on a Laptop” by Laura Holson, when she speaks about a friend
of hers Louise who “uses a projector hooked up to her laptop to watch “Lost” on
a white wall in her living room.” So essentially, without the internet, new media would be another form of old media.
Why and how are the new media replacing and/ or
enhancing the old media?
As mentioned earlier, many old media forms-
newspapers, magazines, and many other print forms- have gone out of business
because they were unable to adjust when the internet had its first boom. These
companies failed to comply with the new demands of the time and continued to
print and circulate to costumers in an old fashioned way only and thusly got
forgotten about. Many newspapers have even cut back on specific parts of their
paper in an attempt to save money. For example, the New York Times stopped
printing separate Sport Sections of their paper and have put it together with
the Business section in an attempt to make it more economical and use less
paper. The New York Times however has adjusted quite well and have made new
platforms which can be used by all ages including easy to use applications, a
smooth easy to navigate website, and a great search engine which allows you to
find articles from literally over 100 years ago.
