Convergence and the Reshaping of Mass Communication

chapter ii

The Media consumers' behaviours are rapidly shifting. The technological change shifted the consumption's behaviour; hence, the medium in which to send the message is changed.
It is rapidly advancing from a simple medium to a more technological and easy accessed way of message delivering.


"Media industries and media consumers face a number of challenges. Beyond fragmentation of audience and the impact of new technologies, they must also deal with three other forces that promise to alter the nature of the media industries as well as the relationship between those industries and the people with whom they interact: concentration of ownership and conglomeration, rapid globalisation and hypercommercialization."

• fragmentation of audience
• interests of media consumers vary from one to another.
• the diversity of audience.
• TV, radio and magazines all reach a niche audience.
• Niche: specific.
• impact of new technologies: 
• technology has made consumers demand more of the media.
• concentration of ownership: 
• ownership of media companies is increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.
• conglomeration: 
• a large company composed of a number of smaller companies engaged in different interests.
• globalisation: 
• developing an international influence or starting to operate in an international scale.
• integration of economics and societies. 
• increased trade between countries.
• flow of goods and services. 
• technology plays a huge role in globalisation.
• hypercommercialization: 
• the rise in number of commercial minutes in a typical broadcast or cable show is evident to most viewers. 

Mass media has played a huge role in our lives; thus, the question of possibility of life without social media aroused. There are two ways to examine this question.

1. Microanalysis: sociological wide angle lens.
• the intention of mass media.
• focus on mass media effect on society.
2. Microanalysis: smaller lens
• focus on media consumers.
• ask them questions to get their opinion.

Functions of mass media:

• Surveillance
• consumer report; car&driver.
• Interpretation
• media analyse and explains messages to consumers; CNN political coverage of US elections.
• Linkage
• match.com
• Transmission of values
• media is a reflection of values and culture.
• socialisation of the media.

Media consumed this week:

1. Social media.
2. Digital newspapers.
3. The internet.