While new media offer a number of benefits for consuming information at the speed and in the formats that today's users demand, some audiences prefer what traditional media offers. In this regard, it is necessary to know some differences between the two.
Over the last couple of decades, there has been a great development in the media. They have moved away from a traditional, one-way communication model to a model that encourages and enables the sharing of knowledge through creative collaboration. However, significant differences remain.
This evolution is due, in part, to the fact that virtual content has become accessible on a wide variety of devices. To this end, radio, television, computers and mobile phones have had to adapt. The convergence brought about by the digitalisation of voice, image, sound and data offers new opportunities for social interaction.
Additionally, as audiences continue to consume media, the need for more attention-grabbing content increases. That's why Southern New Hampshire University has created the Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a concentration in New Media , through which it trains professionals prepared to take on the challenges of working with traditional and digital media.
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Differences between traditional media and new media
Digital media occupy an important place among the communities that follow them, making them the main source of information and the stage for promoting companies' products and services. However, traditional media continue to be very well received by various more conservative audiences.
On the one hand, traditional media are made up of the written press, radio and television, and even cinema. A transmitter sends a message that is transmitted to the reader, the radio listener or the television viewer . There is no interaction between the transmitter and the receiver, since only the information is sent and it will depend on the public how they decide to interpret it .
On the other hand, new digital media have emerged thanks to the appearance and popularization of the Internet , which has allowed the creation of web pages, blogs, newsletters and social networks, among others. Two-way communication is established, since the receiver can interact with the sender , obtaining feedback 24 hours a day.
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In addition to the above basic aspects that serve to mark the differences between traditional media and new media, the following considerations are also significant:
Speed
Talking about real-time information refers to communication cpa email database that is established immediately after an event or fact occurs, which can be followed through the Internet. In traditional media this does not happen, because you have to wait for the next issue to be published or the next edition to be broadcast.
Credibility
For decades, traditional media have developed journalists who know how to provide accurate information, seeking opinions from experts and opinion leaders. New media show a large amount of content that is available to any user, and that allows them to question what they are receiving by accessing other sources.
Purpose
When searching for information online, the goal is to satisfy a specific need because for many people it is a work, study or entertainment tool. For their part, the person who picks up a newspaper to read it is seeking to satisfy the desire to be up to date with current events, beyond wanting to use this information for other purposes.
Promotion
New media use digital marketing to create strategies that promote products or services through digital advertising , which allows them to reach different audiences and have a greater presence in the market. As for traditional media, promotion can only be used to the extent that the newspaper or the signal reaches.
Freedom
Through digital media, it is possible to choose the content that one wishes to view, share or comment on, which allows the user to become a social manager of the knowledge that he or she is acquiring. As for traditional media, the public can only consume the established programming, without having the opportunity to comment or intervene in the message.
Keep reading and discover the differences between communication and journalism .
The evolution of technology has created a different scenario through new media, which establishes a need to redefine the profile of the digital journalist , as well as the content and target audience to impact. Thus, traditional media must continue to adopt the advantages offered by the Internet to offer the digital communication that today's public demands.