How new is new media? Does new media have the tendency to fall into the same traps of old Media? A case study of how we watch Television
Discipline:
Communications and Media
Type of service:
Research Paper
Spacing:
Double spacing
Paper format:
Harvard
Number of pages:
100 pages
Number of sources:
60 sources
Understanding New Media
The study will seek to answer the following research questions:
- In what ways has the new media avoided the traps of traditional media?
- Is there any way that the technological advancements in new media have limited the shortcomings of traditional media?
- Are the improvements in New Media beneficial to the way that we watch Television?
- Has the conceptual transformations of New Media affected the way that we watch TV?
- How has New Media changed the way that we consume Television content?
In finding the answers to these questions, the paper will evaluate the existing literature on new media as well as use data collected on the same through interviews among others methods.
Importance of the Research in the Context of the Existing Literature
New media is relatively a new concept that integrates various aspects of technology-based communication. It includes all platforms such as web-based applications, virtual animations, and interactive social media. Rapid changes in technology have transformed the concept of new media. In this regard, it is critical to ensure that there is an in-depth understanding of the frameworks of new media. At the center of this transformation is the use of the internet as a channel of transmitting new media (Fenton, 2010, p. 231). A wide range of products in use for the new media platforms includes web applications, mobile phone applications, and computer interface. The phenomenon of new media presents a series of research issues that should be adequately addressed. On this note, this research study proposes to investigate the relative changes in new media in the context of digital technology and other interactive processes. Further, determine whether it tends to fall in the traps as traditional media using the way that people watch television as the point of reference.
Previous research on new media has mainly focused on the ways that the new media compared to traditional media. In this regard, there is limited knowledge of the way that New Media has evolved in the recent years in the context of watching television. A critical analysis of the existing literature shows that the research gaps that exist undermine the extent of the changes in new media. It is with this understanding that the research study will investigate the issue. It is essential to enhance the understanding of the innovations of new media and the ways that it affects how people watch TV. Media is a powerful tool in the society; hence, a study in the ways that these transformations influence us is of great importance to the scholarly world (Burton, 2010, p. 116). According to Dennis McQuail, 70 % of Americans are active users of online-based TV programs (2010, p. 123). He correlates his information with the fact that technology is a driving force in the digital age. The saturation of the new systems in place has changed the way that people consume information especially TV content.
There is no consensus among scholars on the extent of benefits that new media has on society or instead of the ways that the transformation has influenced society. Thus, this research will help the media fraternity in profoundly understanding the ways that new media has ingrained society and subsequently allow the development of better content that suits viewers. The theory of New Media proposed by Lev Manovich relates with the underlying goals and objectives of this research in that they aim to build on the understanding of the various forms of media as the instrument of Mass communication (2018, p. 16). In respect to the traps of traditional media, New media has overcome the limitations of traditional media by New media has not been without challenges and negative impact. The internet has created a high level of interconnectedness and reduced regulation capacity of the media stakeholders. Thereby, underage viewers have gained a considerable amount of adult-themed content, which has affected their socio-psychological characteristics.
Data Collection Approaches
The research will use both qualitative and quantitative approaches in the collection of data. On the qualitative aspect, the study will evaluate the existing literature on new media methodological approached. It will help to build an understanding the evolution of traditional media to new media. Besides, it will provide the study with national statistics on new media usage. Moreover, the research will use questionnaire-based research and online surveys to collect data on the use of new media. Part of the respondents will be the users and service provider organizations. The survey questionnaire will be customized to find answers to specific issues related to the research questions.
The arrangement for data collection in place includes a temporary website where the respondents will anonymously fill the online survey questionnaire within 12 hours. Besides, I have secured face-to-face interviews with various web-based TV content provider executives to help with the collection of data. To ensure the diversity of the data to be collected, the study will randomly sample 34 respondents using an online platform. Out of these identified, there will be an arranged face-to-face interview with around five of the respondents.
Bibliography
Fenton, N., 2010. New media, old news: Journalism and democracy in the digital age. Sage Publications.
Burton, G., 2010. Media and society: Critical Perspectives. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
McQuail, D., 2010. McQuail mass communication theory. Sage publications.
Manovich, L., 2018. Digital Traces in Context| 100 Billion Data Rows per Second: Media Analytics in the Early 21st Century. International Journal of Communication, 12, p.16.
